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After his pals had their fun, Drifter and his Pokemon all gathered around in the square where a few games were being played. Two in particular stood out. One was hosted by a girl with long black hair that was pulled up into a bun. She had set up a series of balloons with Pidgeot and Alakazam, and had challenged the trainers to use their Pokemon to pop the balloons.

"Meh. I'm not interested" The masked trainer thought. "Trigger and I would blast them down too easily." He spun the Pokeball of said Pokemon on his finger and wished he could find a good place to let it out. He hadn't had the luck of finding a pond or something.

Another girl called out for volenteers. She had spiky blond hair, and introduced herself as Billy-May. The trainers who accepted her challenge (Drifter among them) followed her into a stadium. Three Magnemites with cameras mapped out the stadium. From what it looked like, their Pokemon would have to run through a race while avoiding attacks from electric Pokemon, and then retrieve a treasure from a Raikou statue. The statue must then be taken back through the course to the finish line.

Drifter considered his team and the challenge, and then made his selection. "Ion" he said, "I know you aren't the most confident Pokemon, but I think you can do this better than anyone!" The Chinchou blushed.

He leaned down and patted her on the head. "Okay, here's our strategy: Run as fast as you can to get ahead of everyone, and if you get attacked, just try to avoid it and don't fight back. If you're hit by an electric attack, see if you can absorb it with your Volt Absorb ability. If not, just run fast. Then, when you get to the statue, open the panel with a Thunder Wave."

A little nervous, but willing to do her best, Ion walked over to the starting line with her opponents...

Inferno finishes watching the contest with Houndour and gets up. "Let's go and find something else to do" he says. Houndour barks happily and walks next to him as they move through the thick crowd of people. They stop to get some food and after they've finished they see a young woman dressed in a white knee length sundress with long black hair pulled up into a braided bun telling people about a game that's about to start. There are hundreds of balloons all around a stage and Inferno listens to the rules that say a Pokemon has to use one of their moves to burst as many as they can to win a prize. It sounds nice, but Houndour doesn't know any moves she can use so they keep looking for something else. A few minutes later they're walking past the Seaside City Stadium when they see another girl dressed like a cowgirl talking about Raikou Races.

"Wow, that sounds cool!" Inferno says. Houndour barks in agreement and they follow her into the stadium to see what they have to do. The track is a path a bit like a thunderbolt design. There's a Raikou statue, electric Pokemon, and Magnemite all around it. They keep listening to the girl talk about the rules of the game and when Inferno hears that electric attacks only have to be used once to unlock the treasure chest, but other attacks need to be used twice he gets worried. He looks down at Houndour who is looking at the race track excitedly. This will be her first race and he doesn't want her to start at a disadvantage. He thinks about it for a minute then reaches into his pocket and takes a TM out. He won it in the Casino a few days ago and it will be able to help her now so he bends down and shows it to her.

"I'm giving you this Thunderbolt TM Houndour because it will help you in the race. It can also help you in contests and battles in the future when you need it, so I want you to have it now. Houndour barks happily and jumps up on him licking his face. Inferno laughs and cuddles her. "This will help you get a good start" he says. "Don't attack any Pokemon even if they attack you because attacking them will set you back. If you want to win you have to keep running and running and ignoring all of the other Pokemon. Use Thunderbolt on the absorbing panels, pick up your treasure, and run back to the finish line as fast as you can."

Houndour barks and runs over to the starting sign, looking at all of the electric Pokemon. Inferno hopes she doesn't get zapped by any of them but knows she probably will. He feels bad for her because she's so innocent and hasn't battled before so she doesn't know what it feels like to get shocked. "Good luck!" he calls out to her, hoping she does well in the first game she's ever played. Even if she doesn't win he hopes she'll have fun. He walks over to the booth where the cowgirl is waiting and points at Houndour who is excited to start. "I'd like to enter my Houndour, please" he says. After she's entered he walks over to the track to find a spot to have a good view of the race, then he waits for it to start.

Kim, Gible, and Absol are enjoying the sights and sounds of the Hero's Festival, stopping regularly to watch the games, performances, contests and battles. The alluring smells of grilled meat attract both of her Pokemon to the food stalls, and while they tuck into juicy sausages and steaks Kim chooses a selection of fruit to soothe her rumbling stomach. After they've had their fill, they move on, eventually finding a large square stage decorated with hundreds of multicoloured balloons. Gible's eyes light up and he races over to prod a few of the blue ones floating in the front row. Kim smiles at his enthusiasm, looking down at Absol who is standing beside her.

"We've found our game, Absol," she laughs, delighting in Gible's youthful eagerness. Absol nods, and Kim turns her eyes back to the stage and the young woman who is announcing the rules. Listening carefully, Kim is thankful she'd spent a good deal of money TM training Gible because it's paid off now that he needs it. She walks over and picks him up, smiling at him then explaining the aim of the game.

"You need to rack up as many points as you can, Gible," Kim explains. "Use Ice Beam to burst a balloon, and have lots of fun while you're doing it. This will help you to practice your targeting skills so don't try to go for the big pointers all the time because all of the little ones will add up. You have three shots per round, so I want you to go for the two lowest and then one balloon above. Blue, Blue, Red. If the blues are gone, aim for Red, Red, Green. Always two of the lowest, and one that gives the next highest level of points. Every four turns try for one shot at the golden balloon so you'll aim for blue, blue, gold, but don't focus on it. It doesn't matter if we hit it or not, we only want to have some fun!"

Gible grins and nods, understanding what he needs to do. "Good luck," Kim says with a laugh, putting him down and watching him run over to Taryn. With his raffle ticket in one hand, and the number he's drawn out of Taryn's bag in the other, Gible hops on the spot, impatiently waiting for the fun to begin.

Sipping away at a bottled drink, Shadow looked over at both of the nearby events about to begin, doing his best to dedicate attention to the two ladies in charge of their own booths while doing his private analysis. The balloon-popping game sounded like an interesting concept, but he wasn't so confident about the risk factor. It was likely that even usually accurate moves such as Aerial Ace and Shadow Punch would have guaranteed hits -- there'd be a fight for the Golden Balloon otherwise, reasoned the geek.

Now, the other game... as Shadow looked up the statistics, he couldn't help but grin. He had the perfect operative for this event. "Alright, Grim, I need you to fall back for a while, or I'm afraid we'll overcrowd this area." The Dusknoir gave an understanding nod before he returned to his Ghost Ball, leaving Shadow to bring out his Quick Ball in replacement. "Zapster, battle stations!" he commanded, releasing the Thunderbolt Pokemon in a brief blast of mild static.

"Zapster, I'll need you to help me out for this racing event," introduced Shadow. "Since Ephidel won't be able to participate, you're the fastest operative I have who can comfortably do this."

"Elec, vire," smirked the full-grown Electric-type with an air of bright confidence. Shadow sighed inwardly a bit at this; Zapster certainly was determined and brave, but at times Shadow couldn't help but feel that the Electivire was a bit too big for his proverbial boots.

"Anyway, Zapster, what I'll need you to do is, quite simply, run like the wind through the course," Shadow pointed. "There'll be Pokemon along the way, as well as competitors, who might attempt to impede you, but this time I want you to focus only on the running. Nothing else. Ignore any attack or Pokemon that comes your way. Once you've hit the mid-way mark where Raikou is, fire your Thunderbolt on the absorbing panels, grab the treasure from Raikou as quickly as possible, and make it back to the finish line. Got all that?"

"Vire!" Zapster crossed his arms huffily, as if Shadow doubted his abilities.

"I'll take that as a yes," nodded Shadow. "There's your place at the starting line. Do us proud, Zapster!"

Grinning, the Electivire saunters to an empty spot at the start, flexing his bulky muscles in preparation. Shadow bit his lip gently; perhaps luck would favour their event attempts this time...

Jeff listened intently as the guide led them throughout the area, informing them of the two activities starting soon. The first, a balloon popping game, and the second a race of sorts. Jeff's hand sub-consciously dropped to his belt, and it brushed over a special ball. The Pokemon inside has been with the teen for as long as he could remember. And he was perfect for either event. But Jeff knew the Skitty loved competition, and wouldn't be able to resist the race and the challenge it provided.

"Hmm." He mused, staring around at the other trainers. Only one so far had gone for the balloons, leaving quite a few for the race. "This should be very, very interesting." With a smile, Jeff plucked the Friend Ball off his belt and thumbed the release button, the ball opened and suddenly his precious Skitty appeared, mewling at him and leaping onto his chest, beginning to purr. "Hey, it's been awhile hasn't it?" He said. Skitty nodded, before leaping down to stand proudly at Jeff's side.

"Alright. The point of this race is to collect an item from the Raikou statue, then bring it to the finish. You do it first, you win. Pretty simple bud." Jeff explained to Skitty, who nodded. "Now, the rules say you can attack another Pokemon, but that's some pretty dirty tactics, not to mention you lose half of what your target would, so, we won't bother with that." Jeff continued, a hand stroking his chin in thought.

"Dash as fast as you can for the statue, and when you reach it, hit it with your Thunder Wave to get your item out as fast as possible. Pick it up, and dash for the finish. You can do it." Jeff smiled at his partner, and Skitty meowed and bound forward to reach the starting line, taking his spot aside a few larger and intimidating Pokemon. "Good luck." Jeff whispered. His mind began to wander about past adventures as he watched his Skitty focus on the track in front of him.

Jeff's hand dropped to his belt once more, brushing over a few more Pokeballs, before picking up a regular Pokeball and releasing his newest Pokemon, a male Buneary. The bunny looked up at him and cheered out a "Buuuuuuuun-eary!", causing Jeff to chuckle. "Use that spirit to give Skitty some encouragement in the race, Buneary, and the other racers too, because while this is a competition, cheering on your friends and fellows is fine too. A lesson to remember." He told his new Pokemon.

Buneary nodded, and took to the sidelines, hopping up and down and cheering wildly. "...Babies." Was all Jeff would say, as he also took his place on the sideline, preparing to watch the Magne-monitor to check the progress of all the racer's.

Mostly up-to-date new and improved PASBL League Table. Re-uploaded every Sunday with updated stats.

Joshua listened intently as both Taryn and Billy-May explained the activities they were hosting, his head tilted slightly as he ran the ideas through his head. However, disappointment soon rang true as he realised he wasn't able to compete in both events at once.

Roxas, beside him, looked up at his trainer with gorgeous eyes, pleading, before Joshua looked away. "Damn it Roxas, I invented that look! Don't you go using it on me!" The Luxray pouted, whimpering slightly and hunching his shoulders, his head bowed.

"Oh, all right. Have it your way. Besides, that Raikou statue is awesome. I wonder if they'd let me buy it after the race?" Joshua's words were louder than usual, in hopes to get his point across. He'd love that statue for his Secret Base, plus it'd make an awesome safe.

"Righto Roxas, let's put everything you have into this race. Spark may be the only real electric attack you have, but it'll work well enough here. Race hard, my darling, and do me proud!" Roxas smiled, ready to give his all.

Looking around, Joshua noticed quite a few faces he was familiar with, and he smiled, his hand moving to a Pokeball on his belt. With a quick burst of red light, Joshua's newest team member emerged from her ball in a shimmer of cerulean sparkles. Aurora the Glaceon smiled up at her trainer, happy to be out and about.

"Aurora, we're just going to watch Roxas compete in this race. Cheer him on as loudly as you can when he's running," Joshua said, Aurora nodding enthusiastically. Both trainer and Pokemon turned to watch as Roxas walked towards the race, confident in his abilities to win.

Missingno. Master was looking for prospective battlers. Instead, however, he found the balloon game. He smiled as he read the rules, for he knew exactly who he was entering. He withdrew the Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it up. "Come on out, Qwilfish!" he said. In a burst of light, Qwilfish landed on Missingno. Master's hand. Normally, it would've been very painful, but Missingno. Master had worked out a way of holding Qwilfish comfortably and securely without touching any of its spikes. "Qwilfish," said Missingno. Master, "I'm entering you in the balloon game. I want you to take careful aim, then shoot your Pin Missile at the red balloons. Got that?" "Qwil!" said Qwilfish in an agreeing tone. "All right then, let's get it on!" said Missingno. Master, as he pulled a cowboy hat out of his backpack, placed it on his head, and headed over to the balloon game.

Tyrant listened intently to the rules of the two different competitions. "Hmm...," he said, "The races sound fun, but I think I'm going to go with something involving accuracy. I'm pretty sure that's our strong point." So Tyrant decided to go with the Hero's Balloon game.

"Hmm, this seems simple enough. The blue balloons are worth 5 point, the red balloons are worth 10 point, the green balloons are worth 15 points and the orange balloons are worth 20 points. And finally, that shiny gold balloon is worth 50 points." Tyrant said to himself.

"Ok! Let's go Py-" he stopped. Phoenix was really excited by all of this and jumped down from Tyrant's shoulder. He really wanted to play the ballooon game and thought that he had what it took.

"Huh, well alright then! Let's go Phoenix! Use Ember to strike the green balloons!" Tyrant said. He was also very excited, holding on to his Ticket #15, he felt that he should go with the balloon that matched his ticket number for luck....until he goes for the big one.

He had only noticed one other trainer and decided not to go with the crowd, to be an "outsider" and decide for himself what he wanted. Even Phoenix looked over at the races and was not very interested. Of course, it may be because Torchic, in general, aren't very fast and would prefer something they could shoot fire at. But Pyro, Mario and Luigi all wanted to compete in the Hero's Balloon game, just Phoenix was more ecstatic about it.

With both of their hearts thumping, Tyrant and Phoenix only waited for what would happen next. "I hope this is as fun as it looks!" Tyrant yelled to Phoenix, "Just do your best, winning is great, but I just really want us to have fun!"

The high sun beating down on his face he blows air upward to his face, hoping that it'll at least cool him down, "I hope theres some water around here somewhere Cherry, this heat isn't too great," looking down at his cherry blossom Pokemon he smiles as her happy face basks in the rays, knowing that one of them is liking the sun he pats her on the head as her eyes flicker left and right, the events and sounds looking to excite her more than ever, "I'm glad you like it Cherry......" “Good morning to you all, my name is Taryn and I have a great game for you and your Pokemon to play if you’re interested.” cutting him off in mid sentence he glances ad turns to his right to find the voice that is talking aloud, listening in he gets quiet intrigued.

"Balloon shooting," this places knows what i likes, can't go wrong with balloons, they rock," Listening closely the girl Taryn greets everyone around him, other trainers who have also noticed the girl with a excitable attitude, seeming to get a lot of people interested in the game, looking around and behind her he motions to cherry, "look thats an Alakazam, a very knowledgeable pokemon and a very strong Psychic Pokemon, I wonder what they've got one of those there, and look around the edges, those are Pidgey, flying Pokemon, who evolve into one of the fastest birds in the world." Upon saying these words to Cherry, Taryn finishes hers and wit one swoop of their wings the Pidgey fly into the air and start flapping the Balloons around as a pinkish looking glow warps around the Golden Balloon, waving and moving it around with it's Psychic powers." Oh this looks cool, we've got to enter this Cherry, now who to use, i'm sorry girl but you don't have the right moves for this, the next game I promise, i'll let you enter ok?" With a happy "Cheri" and a smile she accepts.

"Now woh shall we use, we need some projectile type moves," opening his Pokedex again he scrolls through the option to his active team and PC pokemon while looking through the pokemon he has to offer......"Perfect." Holding Cherry with one hand he presses the corresponding button on the dex as a white flash appears from his Pocket, grabbing the new Pokeball that has replaced one of his others he smiles and enlarges the red and white ball, opening it up near by the frosty trail of ice emits from around her, as his faithful Glaile emerges into the open, "Hey Glalie, how you doing, you up for a bit of fun with some balloons, theres this game here i'd like to enter with you and I know you'll be able to kick some arse, so what you think, you in?" A happy "Glagal" is spoken as a yes is nodded, "Good good, now we need a stratagy, lets start off small, go for Red Balloons first and use Ice Beam to hit them, after that go for any Blue Balloons, and follow it up with 2 attempts of the Gold Balloon and a higher coloured one and then a mix of lower and middle tiered balloons that are left.

Lifting his hand up into the air he shouts out so the girl can hear him, "me and Glalie would liek to enter the Ballon game please

Jess and her two Pokémon wandered casually throughout the crowded streets, licking their ice cream and peering curiously at all the stalls they passed, for each one offered something wonderful and exciting for the delighted sightseers to behold. The vendors called out enthusiastically to them as they walked by, readily advertising their wares to any potential costumers. There was food of all sorts, plus souvenirs and commemorative knick-knacks for sale, ranging from charming little ornaments to gigantic stuffed Pokémon that were also being given away as prizes for some of the games.

There was a huge variety of different activities set up on the street for the visitors to enjoy, and Jess’s easily distractible mind couldn’t settle on which they should try first. She turned to her two Pokémon to hear their ideas, and Atzu shook his head dazedly, unable to choose either from so many attractive options. Pip however eagerly pointed towards a stage upon which a young woman stood wearing a white sundress, her long black hair pulled up neatly into a braided bun. Like the sellers, she was obviously trying animatedly to draw the attention of the people walking past. Jess concluded however that the infant was probably attracted instead by the mass of colored balloons rising from the stage, each one swaying gently back and forth in the breeze. They were so numerous that the girl could hardly imagine how the entire platform managed to remain firmly situated on the ground instead of being borne dramatically away over the clouds, and she grinned when she realized that Pippa had probably had the same idea.

They drew closer to the platform and watched with baffled curiosity as the woman paused in her speech in order to sound a whistle that was hanging around her neck, filling the air with a short high-pitched noise. In a moment she received an answer in the form of several birdcalls as a flock of 15 Pidgey swooped down spectacularly from behind a tall building, alighting uniformly upon the horizontal black rails that lined the edges of the stage. In addition an Alakazam appeared miraculously on a small stand behind the stage, its spoons raised and its eyes closed in deep concentration.

The woman smiled and introduced herself to her audience, jumping down off the stage to address the now rather substantial crowd. “Good morning to you all,” she announced cheerfully. “My name is Taryn and I have a great game for you and your Pokémon to play if you’re interested.” She then proceeded to carefully explain the rules of the game, to which Jessica paid close attention to. The object was pop the balloons in order to win points, a task that was made more difficult by the fact that both Pidgey and Alakazam would be using their signature maneuvers to make some of the targets more difficult to hit.

At the end of Taryn’s speech, Jess turned to Atzu, who appeared to be keenly interested in the competition, as evidenced by his rapt concentration during the instructions. “How about it, Zuzu? You want to give it a try?”

He looked at her and nodded. “Zu,” he stated confidently, his sparkling eyes shining with determination. Jessica nodded in agreement.

“I’ll go grab a ticket then. Meanwhile you can finish your ice cream, unless you want me to hold it for you while you play.”

Atzu quickly shook his head and fervently wolfed down the rest of the cone, astonishing his trainer with his speed in doing so. Shaking her head in amazement, she went to retrieve a ticket from the bag (allowing Pip the honor of reaching in and making a selection). While Pip was choosing, Jess examined the stage up close and tried to estimate the number of balloons as well as approximate their movements at different heights. Hence when she returned to Atzu, she was then able to use the information she had gathered to help him formulate a strategy towards winning.

“I think our best bet would be to aim solely for the orange balloons. Don’t worry about any other colors, just keep aiming for orange. If the orange ones are all gone, then try to aim for two blue and one red. Don’t bother with the green balloons until all the blues and reds are gone. It’s probably not worth it to try and pop the gold balloon, so just keep focusing on other colors and try to hit as many as you can. You can use whatever attack you want, though I think BUBBLEBEAM would work best.”

Atzu nodded readily in agreement. Jess smiled, then added, “Most of all, just remember to have fun. Winning isn’t necessary, though I know you’ll do your best. Good luck, Atzu!”

Pippa cheered as well, though it was obvious she hadn’t really understood anything the girl just said except for the last part. An idea suddenly occurred to her, and she indicated that she wanted to be lowered to Atzu’s height. Jess willingly obliged, and the penguin reached over and affectionately gave the Azulmarill a kiss for luck, causing him to blush. The two girls watched in amusement as he toddled off to take his place in line with the other contestants, his face still pink from embarrassment. They giggled and moved to find a good spot where they could see the stage and also cheerfully support their teammate, as all three of them eagerly waited for the game to begin.

"Hmm" went Zora, looking over the two different attrations, trying to decide which one had the largest potential for rewards. The balloon game looked the more attractive choice, considering that the only members of his team with an electrical attack were Forretress and Rotom, and the last time that Rotom had been in a race it had ended up... "OI!" yelled Zora, as while he had been thinking tactics, Rotom had began floating away, apparantly drawn towards the electrical charge of the Raikou game's apparatus. Running a few yards forwards, Zora reached out and grabbed the ghost, who struggled momenterily before managing to work out the conductive nature of human flesh and literally slipping through his trainer's fingers. "OW! YOU LITTLE SH...." Zora yelled, stopping his expleatives as he regained awareness of his surroundings, and the harsh glares he was receiving from the other festival-goers. Grabbing Rotom's ball from his belt, Zora tapped the recall button, a ray of red light shooting out and locking onto Rotom, who struggled momenterily against it before being forcibly recalled. Enfuriated, he clipped the ball back onto his belt, and stormed off, looking for something.

Finally coming across what he was looking for, Zora approached one of the Pokéball transfer machines that had been set up for the convenience of the public. Slamming Rotom's ball down far too forcefully, Zora winced as pain sparked through his injured hand. Tapping some commands into the machine, Rotom's Pokébakk dematerialised, a green Friend Ball taking its place. Smiling slightly, Zora picked up this new ball, and tossed it in front of him, several people nearby leaping back in fright as the surge of light moulded itself into Tropius' huge bulk, then again as Tropius flapped its leafy wings and streached out its neck, getting rid of it's stiffness from an extended stay in digital storage. "Hello Tropius." Zora told him, as the monster craned its neck down to face its master.
"Roooooo" he cooed affectionately as Zora stroked Tropius' head with his good hand before leaping up onto his back. Kicking his heels against Tropius' sides, Tropius began beating his wings harder, producing several gusts of wind that buffeted anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.
"See those balloons Tropius?" he said, pointing in their direction as he noticed with annoyance that the queue to compete in the game was significantly longer than it had been when he had left. "Well, this game should be familiar to you. You did brilliantly in it last time, but now lets do even better. Lets try out your fancy new Leaf Storm technique to hit those balloons. Aim for the Gold one at first, then when it's gone, aim for any remaining Orange, Green, Red and Blue, in descending priority."
"Toro!" came the sign of comprehension, as Tropius shifted its direction, aiming to land in the middle of the game arena, ready to compete.

Catherine struggled to catch her breath as they finally came to a stop. Eevee's little adventure had taken them through many streets and the pokemon had only now just stopped to stare at one of the game booths. Its eyes were wide with excitment and its tail twitched with antitipation of the fun it could have. Catherine was just glad it found this game more interesting then running absent mindly through the streets. This was going be the last time she let her furry friend have control of where they were going.

With her breath back she decided to check out the game that Eevee was so interested in. She noticed that there were many different coloured balloons tied down to railing she noticed the gold one in perticular because it was the only one of its kind although it was quite far way. She then realized what had attracted her little pokemon to this game.

"You stopped her because you like coloured balloons, right Eevee," she asked her pokemon. Eevee nodded with a happy yap and a nod confirming that Catherine was right in her guess. She had learned that the young pokemon was quite predictable in its way of thinking. It liked colourfull objects and balloons added an exter bonus to the colours. Although Catherine had to admit that she could see why her Eevee was interested in the ballons, they were quite a preety sight with all their colours.

Her attention suddenly changed focus as a sharp whistle rang through the air. She noticed several Pidgy fly into the air and then she saw a young woman start to make an anoucement. Since Catherine knew Eevee had an interest in the game she listened carefully to find out the rules of the game and see if she could enter her little fur ball into the compitition.

Once the anoucment was over she began to think over what her strategy should be. She knew that because Eevee had one range attack she would be able to enter the little pokemon into the compitition. There was only one problem and that was that Eevee had decided to run around in circles around her trainer yapping happily trying to get its trainer to know that it really wanted to enter the contest. With the racket it was creating Catherine found it hard to come up with the perfect plan for the game.

"Eevee I am going to enter you so please calm down and stay still so I can come up with a good plan," she told her pokemon in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Eeeevvvveeee!" Eevee shouted with exitment but then she remembered her trainer's word and stood in one spot and struggled to stay quiet. Her excitment was still visable from the look in her eyes and the slight twitch in her tail. Catherine smiled down at her pokemon pleased that it was doing what she said. Now that some of the noise was down she could think of the perfect plan for the game.

"Oh you are alright with this Riolu?" she suddenly asked as she remembered the other pokemon with her. He had been so quiet that she had completly forgot that the pokemon had been standing by her side. Eevee had taken all her attention with its noisy antics.

"Ri, Ri," was its quiet reply as it smiled to show that it was fine with just watching. Catherine had to admit that she liked Riolu's aditude because it went along with anything that was going on. It was a very quiet pokemon but very easy to get along with.

With knowing that both her pokemon were happy Catherine's thoughts idmeaditly went towards coming up with the perfect plan. She was preety a smart person but this game was a lot about luck as well as strategy. Suddenly a stupid strategy came to her mind and despite its shallowness she decided that she would go along with it. It probably would not do to well but it was worth a try since she could not come up with anything better.

"Eevee you are going to be using Swift for the game and the plan is going to be to hit the ball..."

"Eee, Vee," Eevee interupted confirming that it was ready to do that. The little pokemon was so excited that it did not realize that it had to know which balloons to be hitting. Catherine let out sigh since she found working with her little creater of energy was hard to work with at times.

"Eevee you need to know which ballons to hit first," Catherine calmly told her pokemon. Once it heard this the little pokemon looked down at the ground in shame. It was disapointed in its self her not fully listening to its trainer orders.

"Alright, you are going to try to hit a different colour of ballon each time. First you will try to hit aBlue,then aRed,then aGreen,then aOrangeand finally theGold.You will keep on using this pattern unless one of the types of balloons is all gone. If this happens just skip over it in the pattern. Got it?" Catherine told her young pokemon.

"Eee, Vee!" Eevee excitily exlaimed understanding what it must do. Then realizing that it had nothing to do it started to shoot a few practice Swifts straight up into the air. Catherine smilled at her pokemon's ethusiasim towards the game.

"Calm down girl save your energy for when the game begins," she then told her pokemon. Relunctintly Eevee nodded its head as it sat down with a bored look on its face. It then decided to keep its self entertained by looking up at the blue sky above it. Catherine was not sure why it was doing it but as long as it kept her occupied before the game started she was fine with it.

"Ready to watch the show," Catherine asked Riolu as she picked up her other pokemon into her arms. The pokemon nodded in reply as he looked straight a head of him. Catherine's thoughts were solely on the game as she wondered if her plan would be good enough to win.

Ricco heard the announcement for the Balloon busting game and decided to play that while waiting for the reenactment to begin. He calls Mawile to follow him as they go over to the area to play. They arrive at the area filled with hundreds of different colored balloons, and one Gold Baloon. He listens to the rules and looks at Mawile. Mawile stares in amazement and knew that he was the right choice.

"Hey, Mawile?" Rain asked. Mawile looks up at him. "I know you just learned Hidden Power, but do you want to participate in this game?"

Mawile looks up at all the balloons and wonders if he was ready to take on the challenge.

"If you don't want to that's all right with me."

Mawile bites Ricco's legs with it's back jaw, causing him to jump in pain. Mawile just points to the balloons and says something in his language about them.

"You want to participate?" Ricco asked.

Mawile nods as he turns his back to them, pointing his back jaw at them. Ricco knew it was going to be a little hard, but he had the right idea.

"Okay," Rain said. "Start by shooting the Blue balloons first. Then work your way up to the Red, and then the Green and work your way up from there as best as possible. Try to aim for the Gold once in a while, too. Are we clear?"

Mawile nods as he readies for the okay to go. Ricco focuses on the Balloons swaying in the gust, hoping that this would work for him.

Kami stood looking towards Taryn, and then at Billy-May, glancing between the two. Unable to decide on which attraction she wanted to play, she turned to Kumori. "Which one do you want to play?" Kami asked the cloud-like Pokémon. Kumori looked at the two competitions before deciding.

He floated over towards Taryn and the balloons. "Cas!" Kumori shouted happily for Kami.

"Yeah, I guess this one would be better. After all, you have no electric attacks," Kami thought aloud, "Hmm... Popping balloons... Alright! Kumori, use your Powder Snow to hit the balloons. Take one shot at the gold balloon each round and fire at two red balloonseach round. Once the gold balloon is gone, use all three shots on the red balloons. After the red balloons are gone, start shooting at the green. And after the green are gone, go for the orange. Got all that?"

Beta shifted his eyes between the girl advertising the baloon game and the girl advertising the race. "What to pick, what to pick..." he muttered. Odie tugged at his leg, and he looked down. "Oh, sorry buddy, but you won't be able to play either of these games. You still need some more training." The Heracross looked up sadly, and moaned. Beta grabbed two balls off his belt. "Odie, return. Montag, take his place."

With a flash of red, the Heracross disappeared, a Houndoom forming and taking its place. "Montag, you up for a game? Which one?" Montag sniffed around for a bit, his nose tracing circles on the ground. Finally, he looked over at the Raikou Races game, and gave a short bark. "You're sure? Alright then. Now, let's talk strategy." Montag sat at attention, ready for orders. Beta sat down behind him, scratching at his ears and whispering.

"First off, if anybody tries to attack you, try your best to dodge with Faint Attack, but don't attack them back. All the way along the track, try to use Mimic to copy an electric move. When you get to the panels, either use that Mimiced attack, or use Faint Attack to pop the panel open. Grab the treasure in your mouth, and race back. You got all that?" The Houndoom barked in approval of the plan. "I thought you'd like it."

Dani listens to the descriptions of the two games, thinking carefully about which one to play. It will be great if Ivy and Glacia can both play a game, but each game will only let her enter one Pokemon and they're being played at the same time so she'll need to choose one. Togepi starts bouncing and pointing at the stadium, so Dani decides to let him have a turn at running the Raikou race.

"Are you sure, Togepi?" she asks. She's worried about the electric Pokemon who are there to shock the racers and doesn't want him to get hurt. "The balloon game looks like more fun and you won't get shocked by naughty electric Pokemon. The balloons are really pretty too!"

"Prii!" Togepi squeals, pointing at the racetrack. He's sure he wants to race so Dani walks into the stadium thinking about how much safer the balloon game will be.

"If you want to do this Togepi you're going to have to be careful and you'll also need to know a move to attack the panels with. You don't know many yet, so I'll have a look and see what TM's I have to teach you." Dani gets her TM case out and starts to go through the ones she's been saving. An electric one will be better, and she has three of them so she studies them carefully. Togepi can learn Thunder Wave at the Move Tutor so that's out. Thunder is a little bit too strong so she'll save it for now, so that leaves her with Thunderbolt. It's not too weak and not too strong, so it's perfect.

"Here you are Togepi," she says, handing him the TM. "You can use Thunderbolt on the panels to get your treasure in one turn instead of two. Don't attack any of the racers, and watch out for the electric Pokemon. It doesn't matter if you don't win as long as you have fun."

Dani puts Togepi on the ground and watches him waddle over to the starting line excitedly. She smiles at him and looks down at Ivy and Glacia. "We'd better register him for the race" she says, walking over to Billy-May's booth to enter Togepi in the Raikou race.

Stark continued to travel the streets enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the festival. With all of the excitement going on around him he found himself rather quiet and shy. More of an observer than anything. It was odd considering that he normally would be out and about trying to meet people and get to know them. Then again, this wasn't exactly a normal situation. There were so many people it was almost overwhelming. Part of him wished that his cyndaquil had never evolved so that at least he would have his shoulder buddy with him. Then again, the evolution had helped the fire pokémon learn how to control his flame attacks so it really wasn't such a bad thing.

He continued on his way when a young woman with dark hair caught his eye. She was gathering contestants for an all too familiar game. One in which he had played a long time ago on the SS Tidal and come out of it with his Feebas, thanks to the sharp shooting of Spearow and a lot of luck. A smirk crossed his face as he reached down to his belt and wrapped his hand around one of his pokéballs.

"I wonder if we could do it again..." he quietly mused to himself when suddenly his attention was drawn to another young woman with spikey blond hair pitching her own little game. This one just happened to be an electric type themed race. Stark smirked. He hadn't really had a chance to spend much time with his electric type and this was a perfect opportunity. His hand moved from the pokéball in his hand to another one next to it. With a flash of light the ball opened to release a black and blue lioness. Arcs of electricity streaming across her body. Stark smiled.

"Alright Luxray, showtime," he said as he began petting her dark mane, "You up for a little game?"

The lioness purred and just leaned into her trainer as he pet her, leading Stark to believe that she was ready for anything. Soon enough, the pair followed the other trainers into the stadium where the rules of the game were explained with the visual aid of some magnemite. It seemed simple enough. Race around the track and collect whatever treasure is waiting at the halfway point. Much like the race he and Buizel had won in a previous adventure.

"Here's the plan. Just run it like you normally would. The electric attacks might slow you down a little bit, but I don't think they'll do anything more than hurt your pride. Once you get to the statue use a Thunderbolt to open the treasure box. If anyone even thinks of messing with you, I want you to give them a little Spark to remind them of who they are dealing with. Got it?"

The female luxray roared in response. Her eyes showing the pride she had and her determination to do her trainer proud. Stark stepped up beside her and rested his hand on her back adding, "Alright then. Let's win us a race."

Stacey weaved her way through the large crowds that the festival had brought keeping a close eye on Rotom at all times. Said pokemon was happily absorbing all the sights and sounds it saw as it floated high above the traffic of people. Stacey grinned when she spotted an icecream vendor and stopped to purchase a double cone with chocolate and vanilla flavours, it was just what her empty belly needed. Rapture looked down at its trainer with ingrigue, it obviously didn't eat the way humans did and found her moaning in delight at the taste of the frozen food amusing. Stacey momentarily forgot that they were searching for a game to play as she ate her treat but remembered when she passed one currently underway. She stopped to see the winner announced and receive a large plushie prize.

"So what kind of game shall ..." she started before she heard a voice calling out the the masses. Looking to her right she spotted a young woman with neat black hair pulled into a bun wearing a white sundress trying to attract the attention of as many people as she could. Stacey manoeuvred her way to the stage she stood on spotting the hundred of mulitcoloured balloons floating behind her. Rapture floated down to meet its trainer and stared in awe at the balloons, it had never seen an object so pretty before. Stacey grinned at how cute it was acting and concentrated on what the woman was saying.

She introduced herself as Taryn and her game as the Hero's Balloon Game, offering all those interested to come and play informing them of great prizes to be won. Rapture meanwhile was edging closer to the balloons noticing its reflection in its shiny surface. Stacey gave a short sharp whisper attracting its attention and motioned at it to return to her side. If Rapture popped a balloon before the game even started she was sure Taryn wouldn't be amused. Rapture a little dejected floated back to its trainer keeping its eyes on the pretty shiny floating objects. Stacey listened to the rest of the rules of this game and it seemed simple enough, well it would be if not for the flock of Pidgey blasting the balloons with their gusts and the lone Alakazam using its psychic to throw the Gold balloon awry.

"So ... you want to play this game" Stacey said to Rapture making it sharply turn and look at her with wide eyes. It nodded emphatically looking overjoyed at the thought of playing with those balloons, small blue sparks cascading off its body. Stacey giggled and smiled back at it, it was so cute when it got excited.

"Okay then, lets talk strategy," she said and Rapture put on a serious face trying to wipe the excitement away but Stacey could see that it was brewing beneath the surface.

"Okay how about if you use your Dragonbreath to pop the balloons. Use your first shot each go to aim at the Gold Balloon then use the two others to aim at the Orange Balloons. Once the Gold Balloon is popped then aim at all orange balloons till there gone then work your way down to green, red then blue. That sound alright?"

Rapture beamed at her and Stacey took that as a yes. She went to greet Taryn and pick a ticket to choose their order of start.

Despite the overwhelming numbers in the crowd, Tess finds she's enjoying herself more than she'd expected to. She's already spotted several familiar faces, but considering she'd resolved to designate the day to spending some quality time with her Pokémon, she refrains from approaching anyone to say hello. Perry is enjoying herself too, her little eyes full of wonder as the two weave through the bustling crowds while taking time to watch the many attractions. Tess is glad she's come to the Hero's Festival today for her current interest in training and adventures is at an all time low, but the sight of so many people and Pokémon gathered together in celebration of a hero has helped to lift her spirits, if only a little. She doubts she'll ever again experience the same thrill or happiness that consumed her during her early days as a trainer, but her familiarity with the land, as well as her strong bond with her team, are powerful ties that have forged an almost impenetrable link between her existence as a trainer and a person. No matter where she goes from here, Fizzy Bubbles will always remain in her heart. This land has provided her with friends, love, happiness, triumph, frustration, sadness, loss, and despair, all of which have given her the emotional rollercoaster ride of lifetime that has helped shape her into the person she is today. For better or for worse she loves this land, and being here today is her own way of demonstrating just how important her team is to her for without Connor's valiant efforts eighty years ago she may never have had the opportunity to be sharing this moment with Perry. These thoughts lead her to thinking of all of her team members who aren't here, and Tess has the overwhelming urge to release every single one of her Pokémon. Unfortunately that's just not possible considering the size of her team, so she instead plucks off the five remaining Pokéballs attached to her belt and releases Jaffa, Crystal, Tempest, Kayla, and Vixey to join them.

Perry's eyes light up at the sight of her teammates, and she immediately trots over to Tempest, holding up her raffle ticket to show the Houndoom who was one of the first of her new teammates that she'd met back on Excelsior. Tempest looks around at the crowd and then down at Perry, a worried expression entering her soulful brown eyes. She steps forward, placing her front legs on either side of the little Pachirisu in a protective manner as though she's afraid Perry will be crushed by the crowd. Tess smiles, amused and pleased by Tempest's instinctive nature to protect her own, before her eyes scan over the rest of her Pokémon. Jaffa, her starter and long time friend who she's hardly spent any time with after her team began to grow, looks around with interest, pleased to be free of the confines of his ball. Crystal, graceful as ever, her soft eyes watching the interaction between Perry and Tempest with maternal interest and amusement. Kayla, the little Ralts whose deeper meaning behind the place on her team is known only by Tess, leaps into her trainers arms for a cuddle which is happily provided. And last but not least is Vixey, the Ninetales Tess has spent precious little time with in the past five years. Plagued with her usual guilt whenever Vixey is in her presence, Tess resolves to ensure she's found Vixey an appropriate new name by the end of the day. "Vixey" suited the little Vulpix that Ninetales used to be, but Tess feels that a more suitable name will be fitting for the fine and graceful Pokémon that she is today.

"It's so good to see you," Tess says, tears springing to her eyes as she kneels down to embrace her Pokémon. "I know we haven't spent a great deal of time together recently but that's going to change, starting today. We're at a festival and we're all going to have a great time together, so let's find something to do."

After watching more contests, battles, games, and performances together, they eventually stop for some food when the sound of a female voice from nearby catches Perry's attention and the little Pachirisu dumps the remainder of her plate of food on the ground and rushes over to see what all the fuss is about. Tempest leaps into guardian mode, on Perry's tail in a split second to ensure the overexcited Pachirisu doesn't get herself into any trouble. Tess grins, lifting Perry's abandoned plate from the ground and disposing of it in a nearby garbage can.

Catching up with Perry and Tempest a moment later, Tess listens while a girl with short spiky blonde hair who is dressed in a cowgirl outfit introduces herself as Billy-May. Tess suppresses a grin, the cowgirl outfit reminding her of the one hanging in her own wardrobe along with an array of other interesting costumes. They're hardly suitable for what she considers appropriate outdoor wear however, but they certainly get a fair bit of use while she's in a certain someone's company. Dragging her mind away from this line of thinking, Tess focuses her attention upon Billy-May and listens while the girl announces that a race is about to begin. Following the girl into the nearby stadium, Tess listens intently while the rules of the race are explained, slightly concerned by the low growl of disapproval rumbling in Tempest's throat when she hears that electric Pokémon are positioned strategically along the track in order to zap the racing Pokémon to slow them down. "Shhh," she whispers. "Perry will be fine, Temp, she's an electric Pokémon so she'll be able to handle it." Tempest shoots her a dagger-filled glance clearly demonstrating she's not as convinced, but falls silent anyway much to Tess' relief.

"Would you like me to hold your raffle ticket while you race, Perry?" Tess asks. "You don't want to lose it on the track, so I'll hold it for you until after the race if you like." Perry nods, handing the ticket to Tess which she glances at before putting it into the pocket of her jeans. "Hmm, number one. Interesting allocation. Shame it's not seven..." Shrugging off her thoughts, she walks over to the booth where Billy-May is waiting for those who wish to enter the race to come and register.

"I'd like to enter Perry, my Pachirisu, into the race please, Billy-May," Tess says, smiling down at her little squirrel. "She's very excited, and really looking forward to it."

With the registration process over, Tess and her team accompany Perry to the blue starting banner. "Alrighty Perry," Tess begins with a smile. "You've heard the rules, so concentrate on the goal and nothing else. Don't attack any Pokémon..."

Tempest growls loudly, completely against the idea of Perry not fighting back should she be attacked. Tess simply gives her a stern look, turning her attention back to Perry while Tempest reluctantly falls silent.

"...Don't attack any of the racing Pokémon," and shooting a warning glance at Tempest, adds, "or any of the electric Pokémon if you're shocked." Tempest snorts with disgust, turning her head away in defiance, but Tess ignores her, instead turning her gaze back to Perry. "And when you reach the Raikou statue use Spark on the absorbing panels to release your treasures. Collect them and run as fast as you can back to the finish line where we'll all be waiting for you. How does that sound to you?"

"Wonderful!" Tess exclaims, patting Perry affectionately on the head. "We'll be right here waiting for you when you get back, so don't worry about anything and be sure to have lots and lots of fun while you're racing. Don't be disheartened if you're falling behind, because you never know how it will end until the very last second. Don't give up, and you'll be a winner regardless of where you place."

Giving Perry a quick hug, Tess and her teammates wish her luck before retreating to allow her some time to mentally prep herself for the race. After finding a place to sit, Tess notices that Tempest is missing before she spots the overprotective Houndoom standing beside the side of the track. Sighing, Tess has a mental image of Tempest trailing Perry around from the outside of the racetrack and roasting any Pokémon who attempt to attack her teammate. Tess knows there's no point in trying to stop Tempest from following, for the Houndoom is just as stubborn, if not moreso, than Tess herself. Making eye contact, Tess holds up a warning finger, the gesture clearly conveying the message not to do anything stupid. Tempest looks away, her eyes focused upon Perry, and rather than being annoyed by Tempest's rebellious behaviour, Tess feels a pang of pride. She loves her team, and knows that should anything unforseen happen to her that Tempest will always be there to protect them. It's a comforting thought, and is one of the reasons she has such a strong bond with her Houndoom. With these thoughts in mind, Tess settles in with Jaffa, Crystal, Kayla, and Vixey, ready to watch Perry race.

Listening as the two games are described, Stephen immediately wishes that he could split into two. Pondering the situation, Stephen glances between the two games, watching as the other trainers begin to migrate from the crowded section he is in toward the two games. Looking at Umbreon, Stephen originally thinks of using him for the balloon game, though second thoughts resound in his head due to his poor performance in the same game during other events. Pondering his options, Stephen eventually makes up his mind. Reaching to his belt, he pulls out a blue Pokeball with yellow lightning bolts upon it. Tossing it into the now less crowded square, the glowing shape of a dog morphs from the brilliant white light that erupts from the ball.

"Manectric, let's go!" Stephen calls. Manectric barks happily to be outside of its Pokeball. Stephen smiles at the electric type before saying, "We're going to take part in a race, ok? The rules are pretty simple, so let's get this going. Try to get through everything without being hit by an attack, and don't bother trying to get even with them right now if you are hit, there'll be time later."

Manectric barks, and Stephen continues, "When you get to the Raikou statue, use your Spark attack to open it and reveal the treasures inside, before you take them and run like hell back here! Ok?"

Manectric barks a third time before it charges electricity in its body, sending Thunder Waves in all directions. "Ok then, me and Umbreon will be cheering for you!" Manectric nods before running off to the starting line, Umbreon and Stephen close behind to watch the race.

Alto walks on, noticing the bustling streets, and how there are so many trainers are here. At once, he notices something that interests him. A large place is set aside, containing balloons and pokemon around them who are moving said balloons. Aften hearing the rules of the game, he decides exactly who he could use for it. He reaches for a pokeball on his belt, before throwing it out onto the playing area.

The pokeball opens, before releasing a blinding light that takes the form of a dragon. After the light dissapates, a large creature is seen stretching it's wings and puffing out a breath of flame. The Charizard looks at its trainer and grunts lowly, as if asking what to do.

Alto looks at his most faithful companion, before telling it his orders. "Okay Inferno, the object of the game is to hit the balloons. Each balloon also gives us different points, with increasing difficulty. Use your Flamethrower to hit the balloons in the following order. Start with Blue ~ Red ~ Orange, and should any type of balloon run out, go to the next highest balloon. For example, if all the blue balloons run out, aim for Red ~ Green ~ Orange, and so on. Every other turn, instead of taking a shot at the orange balloon, shoot at the gold balloon instead."

The fire dragon Pokemon takes in the orders, before nodding to himself, preparing to aim and shoot off his favorite attack.

After purchasing a raffle ticket, Katsu headed off in the direction of the food stands once more, with Kiba following very closely, so as to avoid getting stepped on by the crowds of people around him and his trainer.

However, they found themselves diverted from their course yet again, this time by the passing sight of the many games in the square. Kiba seemed to have completely forgotten about getting food, as he had started to urge his trainer to head in the direction of the square. "You want to play a game?", Katsu asked the Electrike, who, as usual, nodded his head quickly. "I guess would be nice to enjoy a meal after we've gotten a bit of a workout, though I wonder what we should play...", Katsu said as he slowly walked through the square, searching for a game that would be suitable for his companion.

It wasn't long before the voice of a girl explaining what appeared to be some sort of sharpshooting game caught his attention, and he hurried over, interested in learning more. "That sounds like a pretty fun game, doesn't it?", Katsu asked Kiba, who was staring at the array of colorful balloons, with an intrigued look in his eyes. The canine turned towards his trainer, and prepared to nod his head in response, but something suddenly caught his eye, and he went speeding off, seeming even more interested in what he had just seen then he had been with the balloons. "Hey, wait up!", Katsu yelled, feeling concerned that he might lose track of Kiba amid the crowd.

Fortunately for Katsu, Kiba hadn't gone far, as he found him a relatively short distance away, looking at a sign that portrayed a wide variety of electric Pokemon, the most notable of them being Raikou, one of the Pokemon that had once fought at the side of the legendary hero. He had arrived just in time, for the girl standing beside the sign had just begun her explanation of what was going to happen in the stadium behind her. By the time she had finished explaining everything, Kiba was sparking with anticipation, seeming to know fully well what this particular game was all about.

"A race, huh? That sounds just perfect for you, Kiba!", Katsu said, feeling rather excited to have found such a suitable game. He then took a moment to ponder over a strategy, before speaking to Kiba, who was eagerly awaiting his orders. "I think it would be best for you to simply run as fast as you can. Ignore any attacks the other racers might decide to throw at you, and when you reach that Raikou statue, use your Thunder Wave to retrieve the treasure from it. Most importantly, I don't want you to feel pressured to win. Just do the best you can, and have fun with it, okay?"

Kiba barked twice and nodded his head to show that he understood his trainer's commands, before running to take his place at the starting line. He was wearing a confident smirk on his face, seeming relatively certain he could win...

J.'s eyes followed a large crowd of trainers that was beginning to swell around two particular events. Intrigued, J. released Helen and began to make his way towards two girls who were explaining their games. Helen trotted in front, pausing every so often to glare at J. and to sniff haughtily in his general direction. -I knew she'd hate me for recalling her,- J. thought.

They stood at the edge of the crowd, listening to the detailed instructions of both games. The balloon game looked fun, but J. knew that Helen wouldn't stand for anything that encouraged shooting. Plus, Charles didn't like being let out during daylight and Adelle was still wary of people. So, after a quick questioning glance at Helen, J. walked over to the casual cowgirl and went through the registration process for the Raikou Races.

"Okay, Helen," J. began. "You're a speedy girl, but there are some other Houndour in this race and I think I can even see a Houndoom. We're going to need a plan. I want you to throw out a Smog at the beginning of the race, then try to avoid everyone. When you get to the statue, use Thunder Fang to claim the treasure. If you're not in front by the end of the race, send out another Smog to get through. Happy?"

I've used a Random Number Generator to Generate
11 pseudo-random integers between 1 and 11 with Unique Values.
The results are now being allocated to you according to
your ORDER OF REPLY to the last update.

While the festival continues around them, several trainers and their Pokémon are attracted to the large stage decked out with hundreds of colourful balloons. Most trainers have been dragged over by their eager teammates, though some have chosen to partake in the game for their own reasons. Eleven trainers and Pokémon have gathered around the deck while spectators look on in interest as those who are going to play the game each approach Taryn in order to choose a number from the bag she is holding. Each Pokémon hopes to be able to go first because they're so excited that they just want to get started, so as they draw their numbers out they take their tickets over to their trainers before stepping back up to the stage to take their allocated place in line.

"Welcome to the Hero's Balloon Game!" the attractive young brunette exclaims, her violet eyes sparkling with excitement as she scans the line of Pokémon waiting to start the game. "I'm sure you've all discussed your strategies with your trainers, so I hope you've listened carefully and know what you have to do. Remember that the blue balloons may have the least amount of points attached to them, but they're by far the easiest to strike which means your points will tally up. Red balloons are a little harder to hit than the blue balloons, but they will give you extra reward points. Green are even more difficult to hit, and orange even moreso, while it'll take a Pokémon with extra keen targeting skills to snatch up the golden balloon before anyone else."

Taryn then looks down at Rotom who is first in line at the foot of the deck, and with a smile invites him up on deck.

"Let's see what you can do, little one!" she cries. "Let the game begin!"

With the positions now decided, and Pokémon lining up beside the deck to take their turns, Rapture moves up onto the stage, his little eyes scanning all of the colourful balloons surrounding him. Taking a deep breath, he blows out a misty bluish green flame that streaks through the air as round one moves into action...

Round 1

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 14MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 13HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 8HIT!
Rapture's Dragonbreath streaks upwards and straight toward the golden balloon, but misses its mark. A little upset by missing his very first shot, Rapture turns his little eyes toward the next row of balloons and releases two consecutive streams of Dragonbreath, successfully popping two of the orange balloons. Two orange tickets come fluttering down to the stage as they burst free, so he collects them and returns to his trainer, beaming with pride at having gained her a nice little 40 point lead.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 3MISS!
Alto's Charizard is the next to take the stage. The darker than usual Charizard studies the balloons, half tempted to blow them all up with one mighty widespread Flamethrower. Instead, knowing he needs to hone his targeting and accuracy skills for this game, he releases three short bursts of flames, successfully bursting a blue balloon, but just skimming the red and green ones. A single blue ticket flutters to the ground causing Inferno to snort with disgust, but he retrieves the ticket and returns it to his trainer before taking his place at the end of the queue just behind Rapture, determined to do better next round.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!
Kim's Gible is the next to step up on stage, quite excited to be having his turn. He knows what he needs to do and quickly fires off an Ice Beam at the closest blue balloon, just skimming, but not bursting, his target. He looks over at his trainer, upset to have missed his very first shot, but she's quick to smile and encourages him to try again. Gible turns back to the stage, being careful to take a better aim this time, his caution paying off as his next two attacks burst one blue, and red balloon. He bounces over excitedly, plucking the tickets from the stage before returning to his trainer and handing them to her. Excited to have gotten off to a decent start, he makes his way to the end of the queue to await his next attempt.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 8HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 5MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 1MISS!
Atzu is the next to bounce up on stage, the excited Azumarill eager to show Jess his supreme targeting skills. He focuses his gaze upon one of the orange balloons before spitting out a stream of slippery bubbles, his Bubblebeam streaking across the stage and slamming straight through his first target. Feeling quite pleased with himself he quickly follows up with another two rapid fire Bubblebeams, but unfortunately misses both orange balloons he'd been aiming for. His little eyes fill with tears, regretting having been a little too overconfident after his first successful hit and as a result not taking the time to concentrate properly on aiming for his next two shots. He slowly walks over to collect the lone orange ticket he'd released before turning it over to his trainer who is quick to console him with a hug and some kind words of encouragement before he returns to the end of the queue to await his turn for round two.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!
Tyrant's Torchic is quick to hop up on stage next, perhaps a little too eager for his turn as he doesn't take the time to focus upon his targets before firing off three consecutive Embers at a row of green balloons. Each of the flames pass harmlessly by their targets leaving Phoenix looking a little shamefaced as he steps down from the stage. Giving his trainer an apologetic look before making his way to the end of the queue, he promises himself he'll concentrate next time instead of letting his excitement get the better of him.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!
Kain steps up next, the little Mawile clear in his instructions to work his way up from the lowest tier of colours to the highest. Told to go for the golden balloons "every once in a while" he figures he'll give it a go every four rounds or so, but right now he's going to start from the bottom. He focuses on a blue balloon before a mulitocloured ray of light shoots from his eyes and sails straight past his first target. Frowning, he refocuses, attacking again and successfully bursting a blue balloon. happy to have succeeded this time, he gives his trainer a pleased smile before turning and bursting one more. Proudly collecting his two blue tickets from the stage, he races over to his trainer, hands Ricco the tickets, and then takes his place at the end of the line, looking forward to his round two attempt.

Zami & Eevee: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!
Zami's hyperactive Eevee is the next to bound up on stage, so excited to finally be having her turn that she nearly forgets what attack she's supposed to be using. Catherine smiles at her, and the little furball turns around to face the multicoloured array of balloons bobbing in the gentle breeze. She looks at them all, overcome with excitement for a few moments before she finally unleashes a Swift attack upon the nearest blue balloon. The little star shaped energy projectiles slam straight into it, bursting it and releasing a blue ticket which flutters gently down to the stage. Aiming for a red balloon next, Eevee's attack misses, but this doesn't deter her from trying for a green balloon. Once again her Swift attack hits its target, this time releasing a green ticket. Eevee races over and collects her prizes, rushing them over to her trainer before she bounds back to the end of the line to await her round two attempt.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
Missingno. Master's Qwilfish half hops, half flops, his way up onto the stage, not looking at all too comfortable with the fact he's out of his comfort zone. Why this couldn't be a pool game of some sort is beyond him, but he's eager to get his turn out of the way so that he can hopefully have some water playtime a little later on. Unfortunately he's a little too quick to attack the row of red balloons before him, missing each and every one of his targets. Annoyed with himself, he makes his way to the end of the queue, determined to do better next time.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 2MISS!Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 48MISS!Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 15MISS!
Zora is keen to repeat his previous success in this game with his Tropius, the giant grass type stepping up next. With his sights set only on the golden balloon, Tropius is having a little difficulty following its movements no thanks to Alakazam who isn't exactly making it easy for him to hone in on his target. The golden balloon is zigzagging through the air, its erratic movement already giving him a bit of a headache. Regardless, Tropius tries to focus, but all three of his Leaf Storm attacks miss the wildly moving prized golden balloon. He steps down from the stage, annoyed, taking his place at the end of the queue and hoping he'll have better luck next round.

Arnold & Glalie: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Glalie bounces up to the stage, hoping she has her trainers instructions down pat and that she hasn't misinterpreted what he's said. Concentrating on the row of red balloons, she firest off a freezing cold Ice Beam which streaks straight past her first target. Refocusing, she unleashes another of her icy attacks, this one bursting a red balloon and releasing a red ticket which flutters down to land softly on deck. Aiming for another red balloon, she releases another Ice Beam which sails past her third target. A little disappointed not to have done better this first round, she collects her red ticket, returns it to her trainer, and then takes her place at the end of the queue, hoping for better luck next round.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 40MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Kumori is the next to make his way up on stage, the little Castform looking about in wonder. He eyes the wildly zigzagging golden balloon, not at all sure he'll be able to hit it, but willing to give it a shot anyway. Unleashing a stream of Powder Snow, it comes surprisingly close to its target, but not quite close enough to burst it. Since he'd not really expected to hit it anyway he turns his attention to the red balloons next, successfully bursting one, but missing the other. Collecting his 10 point red ticket, he takes it to his trainer and them makes his way over to the end of the queue.

So far only five blue balloons, three red, one green, and three orange balloons have been eliminated from the game. The golden balloon is still in play, and the Pokémon are getting more excited now that they've had their first taste of what's to come. All are eager to do better this time around, and as round two begins, their trainers watch closely, waiting to see if anyone will be lucky enough to take out the prized golden balloon.

Round 2Arc_Angel & Rotom: Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 39MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 6MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 6MISS!
Rapture once again takes his place on stage, eyeing the golden balloon and hoping to snag it for his trainer. Unfortunately it isn't his time yet, as his Dragonbreath sails past it with several metres to spare. Concentrating on the orange balloons next, he tries for two more attempts, but both fail. A little dejected after not having struck any balloons at all this round, he returns to the end of the queue to wait for his next turn.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 46MISS!
Inferno steps back up on stage, slightly miffed by his performance last round. He's determined to do better this time, and on his first shot manages to burst a blue balloon with his Flamethrower. His attempts at hitting the red and gold balloons aren't quite as good though, and he realises he's going to really have to concentrate if he wants to get ahead. Collecting his blue ticket, he takes it to Alto before joining the end of the line and waiting for his next turn.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Gible hops back onto the stage, excited to be going for another round of balloon popping. He aims first for two blue balloons, taking both out before trying for a red. Unfortunately his last target is a miss, but he's still managed to gain his trainer another ten points and happily collects his two blue tickets, handing them to Kim on his way back to the end of the queue.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 2MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 16MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 17MISS!
Atzu bounces up onto the stage, and even though the golden balloon is still in play, takes his trainers instructions into account. She's right about the fact it won't be an easy target to claim, so he instead concentrates once again on the row of orange balloons. Unfortunately all three of his Bulbblebeam attacks sail straight past the orange balloons being guested about in the wind by the Pidgey surrounding the stage, but just because he wasn't so lucky this time, it doesn't mean he won't have better luck next time. Stepping down, he makes his way to the end of the line so the next Pokémon can have their turn.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!
Phoenix eagerly hops up on stage again, hoping he'll do much better this time around. After not having managed to hit any of his targets last time, he's feeling a little dejected, but gives it a go anyway. His first Ember hits, bursting a green balloon and releasing a 15 point green ticket. Unfortunately his next two attempts fail, but he's pleased to have hit at least one of them and quickly retrieves his ticket, taking it to his trainer before waiting for his next turn.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!
After having managed to hit two of his three targets last round, Kain is feeling pretty confident this round. He starts off well, immediately hitting his first blue balloon and gaining is trainer an additional five points to add to his tally. Unfortunately he's become a little too overconfident though, and rushes his next two shots, missing both. Looking rather shamefaced, he collects his blue ticket, returns it to Ricco, and makes his way to the end of the queue promising himself he'll be more careful next time.

Zami & Eevee: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 3MISS!Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 43MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!
Eevee bounds up on to the stage, eager to have another shot at bursting some balloons. A little overexcited, her first two shots miss their mark, but she's careful to ensure she aims properly the third time and as a result is successful at bursting a blue balloon. Retrieiving the 5 point blue ticket, she takes it to Catherine before taking her place back in the line for her round three attempt.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!
While his last round was a complete failure, Qwilfish is determined to do better this time. His first set of Pin Missiles fly straight past a red balloon, but he stops for a moment, refocusing upon the row of reds, and then fires off another two sets. Both strike their marks, two red balloons bursting to reveal a red ticket each. Collecting both, he returns them to Missingno. Master before making his way back to the end of the queue.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 20MISS!Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 1MISS!Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 13MISS!
Desptie last round's complete failure, Zora is determined to go for the big one, his instructions to Tropius quite clear in the fact that he wants the golden balloon first and foremost. Tropius is still having trouble judging which Alakazam is going to send the balloon careening, but nonetheless tries to hit it. Unfortunately his luck this time around isn't any better than last time, and he misses all three shots. Quite frustrated now, he stomps his foot, the stage vibrating under his weight, before he marches off to take his place at the end of the line, hoping that nobody will get the golden balloon before him.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
Going for the blue balloons this time around, Glalie if feeling pretty confident. That is until she misses her first shot. She looks a little embarrassed at having missed such an easy target, but her next two attacks quickly make up for it. Her Ice Beam smacks two of the balloons in the sides, hitting them just hard enough for them to burst loudly and release two blue tickets that she's quick to gather together and return to her trainer before taking her place again at the end of the queue.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Gold (50 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 50-sided die: 26HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!
Kumori comes up on stage again, eyeing the golden balloon warily. He'd watched as other Pokémon much older and more experience than he is missed it many times over and doesn't have much faith in the fact he can do it. Those are his instructions though, to try for the golden balloon once each round, so he focuses on it before unleashing a freezing cold Powder Snow into the air. Whether luck is on his side, or he's managed to hone his targeting skills in the last few minutes, he doesn't know, but the golden balloon explodes in a shower of colourful confetti. Amidst the confetti is a stunning golden ticket, and his eyes grow wide when he reads what it says. Staring at it in awe, he remembers he still has another two shots left and turns back to the balloons on the stage to go for a couple of reds. Slightly distracted by the words on the golden ticket, he misses his next shot, but successfully strikes a red balloon on his third. Collecting both tickets he proudly returns to Kami, handing them over before returning to the end of the queue and eagerly awaiting his round three attempt.

With the golden balloon now out of the running for the main prize, all of the trainer's Pokémon are remembering their alternative instructions. Strategies will be changing from here on in, but just because the golden balloon has been won, doesn't mean there's no longer any hope for each and every one of them. If they can collect enough of the remaining tickets, they'll still have a very good chance of getting a nice prize out of this game. With this in mind, trainers and Pokémon alike are becoming even more excited as the game moves into round three.

Round 3

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 3MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 5MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 13HIT!
Rapture makes his way up on stage again, hoping that round three will bring him some better luck than round two did. He's a little disappointed that he wasn't able to get the golden balloon for his trainer, but he's going to try to make it up to her by getting as many orange tickets as possible. His first two attacks miss their mark, causing him to worry a little, but his third is spot on, and when the orange balloon bursts, he collects the ticket that comes floating to the ground, passing it over to his trainer to add to her other two orange tickets.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 19MISS!
Inferno makes his way up for round three, the Charizard not too impressed with his performance so far. This game is showing him that he doesn't have the targeting skills he'd previously believed, but then again those Pidgey aren't exactly helping matters. Hitting his first blue balloon, Inferno is feeling a little better, but after missing the red and orange he's starting to get really annoyed with those pesky birds. Collecting his blue ticket, he takes it to his trainer and waits at the end of the queue for his round four attempt, thinking about how nice roasted Pidgey will be for dinner tonight.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!
Gible bounces up onto the stage, eager as ever for another attempt at some excitingly fun balloon popping. He sends an Ice Beam streaking across the deck, watching while it smacks a blue balloon in the side and causes it to burst. He jumps up and down, happy to have hit another balloon before repeating his actions. His second Ice Beam also rips another blue balloon to shreds, and though his third attempt, this time at a red, fails, he's quick to retrieve his two blue tickets, taking them to his trainer before reluctantly leaving the stage so that the next Pokémon is able to begin their turn.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 10HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 13HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 12HIT!
Atzu walks slowly up onto the stage, a little depressed after his last failure of a round. He's been watching quietly though as other Pokémon have been taking their turns, studying the Pidgey closely as well as the effect of their gust attacks upon the balloons. He thinks he has it worked out, but until he attempts to hit the balloons he won't know for certain. Unleashing his Bubblebeam, he watches while the water attack collides hard with an orange balloon, the small explosion of bubbles causing it to burst and release an orange ticket. It floats to the floor and Atzu grins, hoping his next try will be just as successful. It is, as well as his third attempt, which gives him a grand total of sixty points for this round alone. Happily collecting his three orange tickets, he hands them proudly to Jess before once again taking his position at the end of the queue while eagerly awaiting his fourth round turn.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!
Phoenix hops up on stage again. He's lost a little bit of confidence in the last couple of rounds, but he definitely wants to do better. He looks longingly at the bottom two rows of blue and red balloons before lifting his gaze to the third row where the green balloons are swaying a little too much for his liking thanks to the gusting Pidgey surrounding the stage. Unleashing an Ember, he misses his first balloon as well as his second and third, his little eyes filling with tears when he misses all three shots. Dejectedly making his way back to the end of the queue, he watches while the next Pokémon in line makes their way up onto the stage.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!
Kain makes his way up on stage for his third round attempt. After having missed two two shots in a row last time he's not feeling overly confident at the moment which shows when he attacks his first two balloons. His energy pulse sails straight past them, but he takes a moment to breathe before firing off his third attack which has worked well for him. A blue balloon pops, releasing the ticket inside which he collects and hands to Ricco before moving back into line.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 11HIT!
It seems nothing can get Eevee down, for even though she missed two of her last attempts she's keen as ever to get into it this time around. Perhaps her overexcited nature has something to do with why she tends to miss her first couple of shots, but her third shot certainly makes up for it and snags her an orange ticket. When it flutters softly to the stage, she eagerly retrieves it, races it over to Catherine, and races to the end of the queue, ready and raring to go for round four.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!
Qwilfish flops up onto the deck again, looking quite annoyed by this stage. He certainly wants to hit those accursed balloons, but luck just isn't on his side today. It doesn't seem much has changed this round either, for even though he does his best to shred the red balloons with his Pin Missile attack, he only manages to hit one of the three. Oh well, at least 10 points are better than no points, so he collects his red ticket before making his way off stage.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 18MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 2MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 13HIT!
Tropius steps up on stage. He's slightly annoyed by the fact that he wasn't able to hit the orange balloon once when he'd tried for it with each shot he'd had only to have someone else come in and steal his thunder. At the same time he's also relieved that it's no longer an issue because now he can actually concentrate on the real possibility of racking up points. He doesn't start off brilliantly, missing his first two orange balloons, but releases a triumphant roar when his third attack hits. Collecting his orange ticket, he drops it into Zora's hand before moving away from the stage. Next round... Next round he's sure he'll do better.

Arnold & Glalie: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 18MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 12HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 10HIT!
Glalie bounces up onto the deck, ready for round three. Staring at the line of orange balloons in the back, she takes her time aiming due to the strong gusts of wind moving them about. Her first Ice Beam misses, but her next two tear the orange balloons apart giving her two tickets worth a collective 40 points. Returning them to her trainer, she returns to the end of the queue, hoping to do just as well, if not better, during the coming rounds.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Kumori is next, and is feeling pretty good after the extraordinary stroke of luck he'd had last round. Snagging his trainer not only the golden balloon, but a red, as well as a very special prize, he couldn't be happier. It looks like his luck ended there, however, for all three of his attempts at the red balloons this round have backfired. His Powder Snow passes each of the balloons, sliding by a couple, but not quite close enough to burst them. He looks to the ground, making his way to the end of the line while hoping he'll do better next round.

The golden balloon may no longer be in play, but there are still a lot of points left to be made. Whether it'll be strategically better to go after the larger scoring ones or to collect a bundle of lower scoring balloons still remains to be seen. At the moment, the top scores are pretty tight, so it's anyone's guess as to how this will eventually turn out.

Round 4

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 10HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 17MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 11HIT!
After two misses last round, Rapture isn't feeling extraordinarily confident as he makes his way up on stage. There are still fourteen orange balloons left, and seeing as he's been instructed to go for the highest tier available until they're gone then he doesn't even focus on any of the remaining greens, reds, or blues. His little eyes zoom straight in on the orange balloons which are gusting around in the wind above. His first hit is spot on, his Dragonbreath bursting the balloon to release yet another pretty orange ticket for his trainer. His second attempt isn't quite as good, the balloons moving around too much for him to get a good aim. He doesn't even bother aiming for the next one, instead just blasting a Dragonbreath in the general direction of an orange and with luck on his side strikes it to release his second orange ticket this round. Proudly presenting his 40 point win to his trainer, he once again takes his place in line, eagerly awaiting the beginning of round five.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 14HIT!
Inferno steps up next, determination in his eyes. His frustration over previous rounds is showing, and everyone in the crowd finds themselves hoping he'll get hit a balloon this time. When his first attempt at one of the easiest blue balloons fails, Inferno snorts loudly, smoke coming from his nose which demonstrates just how annoyed he's getting, but when his next target is a direct hit and a red ticket comes floating to the ground, all of the spectators cheer for him. He's not sure whether to be pleased or insulted by this, but lets loose with a mighty roar before sending another Flamethrower toward the row of orange balloons. One of them bursts, releasing an orange ticket that Inferno happily scoops up along with his red ticket. Thirty points in one round isn't bad at all, and he proudly hands them over to his trainer before taking his place back in line, looking foward to round five.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
Gible is so eager to get started that Inferno has barely departed before he leaps up onto the stage. He sends an ice beam careening straight toward a blue balloon which hits dead centre. The balloon bursts releasing a blue ticket which he scoops up quickly before rapidly firing off two more ice beams. Both attacks miss, but he's far from deterred. Giggling to himself, he races off the stage, hands his trainer his 5 point blue ticket, and races back to the end of the line for another turn.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 15MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 9HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 20MISS!
Atzu is feeling pretty good after his extremely successful last round and doesn't even seem to mind the fact that his first attack is a miss. His second Bubblebeam hits its mark, giving his trainer yet another orange ticket for her growing collection, but he seems a little sad when his third attack misses as well. Jess smiles, encouraging him to keep going, which lifts Atzu's spirits. He gives her the ticket and moves back into line with a happy smile on his face knowing that he's managed to obtain his trainer a nice little accumulation of points.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 10HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 10HIT!
Phoenix doesn't really seem to be enjoying himself anymore, especially considering he's not managed to burst one balloon so far. When his first attack this round misses as well he looks like he's about to give up when his trainer nods encouragingly, urging him to keep going. Not looking to sure of himself, he nods and turns back to the stage, eyeing the row of green balloons. Taking careful aim, he fires off an ember and watches in amazement as the balloon he'd been aiming for bursts open and a green ticket floats to the ground. Feeling better now, he tries it again, and lo and behold! Another strike! TWO green tickets are now sitting on the deck so he quickly collects them before hopping over to his trainer. Dropping them into Alto's lap, Phoenix hops over to the end of the queue, now looking quite forward to what the next round may bring.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!
Kain steps up again. This is a fun game, but he's starting to become a little disillusioned by the fact he's missing so many of the easy balloons. As though trying to take his anger out on them he attacks too quickly this time around and misses again. Stomping his foot in frustration, he takes a deep breath, focuses properly for his third shot, and bursts the blue balloon. Retrieving his ticket he promises himself not to lose his cool next time, and passes his voucher to Ricco on his way back to the end of the queue.

Zami & Eevee: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!
Eevee takes to the stage again, her absolute excitement over the noise of popping balloons and festival activities going on around her making her pretty much immune to feeling any self pity when she misses any of her targets. This round is no different, and when she bounds up onto the stage releasing three Swifts in different directions, she's too excited to know where to look first. She soon hears a balloon popping, however, and turns in that direction, picking up her red ticket and taking it over to Catherine before bounding back off to the end of the line to await her next turn.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
Qwilfish appears to be having a VERY bad day. Perhaps he's just missing the water, but whatever the case he's just not doing as well as he could be. His next three Pin Missile attacks are off target, one of them just skimming a red balloon, but not enough to puncture it and cause it to burst. If he could curse, he would, instead he makes a rather strange guttural fishy sorta sound before flopping back off to the end of the queue while he dries out in the warm sun a little bit more.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 11HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 2MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 20MISS!
Tropius steps up on stage again, determined to hit more balloons this time despite the fact they're whipping about wildly in the air. His first attack hits, giving him a sense of satisfaction, but when his next two miss that satisfied feeling doesn't last very long. His aggravation with these pesky Pidgey is starting to get in the way of his sense of judgement which doesn't seem to be doing him very well when it comes to his targeting skills. He briefly wonders what kind of satisfaction he'd get from shooting one of them down, but figures it's best not to try in case he's forfeited from the game. There are still plenty of balloons left, so he still has time to rack up more points. Retrieving his orange ticket, he passes it to Zora before taking his place at the end of the queue, determined to do better in round five.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!
Glalie bounces back on stage again, ready for her fourth round of balloon busting. Whether luck or experience has anything to do with it, she manages to hit two of the three balloons she aims for, earning her both a blue and green ticket. She happily retrieves them, giving them to Arnold on her way back to the end of the line where she eagerly awaits the beginning of round five.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Kumori heads back up on stage. He's managed to acquire the golden ticket for his trainer, but he also missed every one of his shots last round. He has mixed feelings as he begins round four, but knows that Kami will be proud of him no matter how he fares for the remainder of the game. His first target is a hit, which helps to boost his confidence, and even though he misses his next two balloons, he still manages to make his way to the end of the queue with a smile.

The tension is mounting as round four moves to a close. Some Pokémon have managed to accumulate a fair few points through their successful targeting of higher tiered balloons, but there are still more than 1,900 points worth of balloons to be burst out there. While the trainers are mostly in it for fun, some of the Pokémon are starting to take this game seriously as they want nothing more than for their trainers to be proud of them despite the fact that deep down inside they know they already are. As round five begins, everyone wonders what the next few minutes will bring.

Round 5

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 1MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 18MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 19MISS!
At the beginning of round five, Rapture makes his way back up on stage. Looking up at the orange balloons, he fires off three consecutive Dragonbreaths, but unfortunately they all miss. A little saddened by this, he returns to the end of the queue so the next Pokémon can have their turn.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 20MISS!
Inferno steps up, feeling rather confident after last round. He fires off a Flamethrower and hits a blue balloon. Roaring his approval, he goes for a red balloon next, but misses. Following up by taking aim at an orange balloon, he sends a stream of fire toward it but the balloon is moving about too much thanks to the gusting Pidgey, and the attack misses. Frowing his disapproval, he steps down hoping he'll do better next round.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Gible steps up next, the little Dragon Pokémon bouncing eagerly, happy to be having another turn. An icy mist starts to form around his mouth as he readies his Ice Beam attack, and a moment later blasts out two beams of ice energy which pop two of the blue balloons and release two tickets that flutter to the ground. Aiming for a red balloon next, he unleashes his attack, but it sails straight past its target. Happy to have hit at least two balloons, Gible collects his tickets and races them over to his trainer before taking his place at the end of the queue, eager for his the next round to begin.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 13HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 1MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 10HIT!
Atzu is on the stage within seconds of Gible stepping down, and immediately send a Bubblebeam for an orange balloon. The balloon bursts, releasing an orange ticket, which excites Atzu so much that he doesn't take careful enough aim for the next one. His attack passes harmlessly by, but he focuses properly on the next one and succeeds in bursting it. Grinning widely, he proudly collects his two orange tokens before returning to the end of the line.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!
Torchic hops up on stage next, completely ignoring all but the green balloons. A little too eager to get started, Phoenix misses the first one, but quickly makes up for it by bursting a fifteen point green balloon with his next hit. Puffing his chest out proudly, he tries for another green one, but it's moving around a little too much in the breeze and he misses. Shrugging, he's still made his trainer fifteen points this round, which is definitely something to be proud of. Collecting his ticket he takes it over to Tyrant, and then hops happily back to the end of the queue, watching while the next Pokémon moves up onto the stage.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!
Kain steps up next, a little disheartened after missing two balloons last round. Taking careful aim he goes for a blue one as his trainer had instructed, striking it and releasing a blue ticket. Leaping for joy, he targets another blue balloon, his Hidden Power streaking right through it. Feeling a little overconfident now that he's gotten two strikes in a row, he attacks a little too quickly the third time and misses. Cursing himself for not taking a little extra care, he collects his two blue tickets, takes them over to Ricco, and then makes his way to the end of the line.

Zami & Eevee: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 20MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
Zami's overexcited little Eevee bounds onto the stage, just as eager for her turn as she was in round one. Running around in circles, she remembers her instructions to follow a pattern, and seeing as she targeted a green balloon last in the previous round, she sets her sights immediately on the row of pretty orange balloons at the top. Unfortunately her Swift attack isn't as accurate as it should be, and doesn't even come close to hitting it. Aiming next for a blue balloon, she misses before setting her sights on a red one. Unfortunately all three are a miss this time around, but it doesn't get her down. She bounds back to the end of the queue, still as excited as ever while awaiting her next turn.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Qwilfish flops up onto the stage next, immediately aiming for a red balloon. His first hit is a winner, and he watches while a red ticket floats to the ground. He's feeling a little dried out here on land, and doesn't exactly have as much luck with his next two shots, but at least he's scored ten points which is better than nothing. Plopping back down so that the next Pokémon can take their turn, he wonders how long he'll be able to handle playing this game whilst way out of his comfort zone.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 5MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 1MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 10HIT!
Tropius steps up next. While the lower scoring balloons may be a strategy to consider when the little numbers can add up to give a larger score than going straight for the higher scoring balloons, neither he or his trainer are ones to be going for the little stuff. Eyeing the orange balloons, Tropius hopes for a little luck this round and fires off three consecutive attacks. The first two miss, but his third is a hit which gives him twenty nifty points for this round. It's a neat little scoop, so he collects his orange ticket and passes it to Zora on his way back to the end of the queue.

Arnold & Glalie: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 2MISS!
Glalie is up next, bouncing up onto the stage. She'd had two decent hits last round and is hoping to do just as well, if not better, than last round. Unfortunately she's not as lucky this time, with all three of her Ice Beams missing their targets. Feeling a little dejected, but knowing there's still plenty of time left to rack up the points, she makes her way back to the end of the line to await her round six turn.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Kumori makes his way up next. He'd missed twice last round, and is hoping to do better this time. His first two attacks are successful, striking two red balloons and giving him twenty points for the round. His third attack is a miss, but he's proud to have done better this time and happily collects his two red tickets, taking them to Kami before returning to the end of the queue as the game has come back full circle and round six begins.

At the end of round five there have been more misses than hits, but that hasn't deterred any of the Pokémon or trainers. There are still plenty of balloons left on the stage, their combined total of points still meaning that each and every one of them has an equal chance of winning. Jess and Atsu are in the lead, but can they hold on to their lead?

Round 6

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 19MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 1MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 6MISS!
With round six moving into action, Rapture returns to the stage. He'd missed all three attempts last round and is hoping to do his trainer proud this time. Perhaps nerves are playing a part in his lack of luck at the moment, or perhaps the Pidgey gusting up a storm are the problem, but whatever the case, all three of his attacks are misses for the second time running. His trainer is still tied for second place, but he knows that unless he starts to hit some balloons in future rounds, they'll start falling behind in the ranks. He returns to the end of the line, hoping he'll be able to hit at least one balloon next round so that he's not left with a triple non-hit streak.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 15MISS!
Inferno steps up next. He's never been more annoyed with a flying type in his life than he is with these Pidgey right now, but he nevertheless makes an attempt to try and strike at least one balloon this round. One hit is better than no hit, so even if he can rack up points slowly at least they'll be getting somewhere. All three of his Flamethrowers pass harmlessly by the balloons though, and he's left leaving the stage with absolutely no tickets to show for his efforts this round. Next round he's sure he'll do a lot better.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!
With round six getting off to a disastrous start, Gible takes the stage. The little dragon seems to be enjoying himself too much to really care if he hits or not, which is perhaps why all three of his Ice Beams sail harmlessly by his targets. He grins widely at Kim, showing he's well and truly enjoying himself despite the fact he'd not managed to hit anything, and then races back to the end of the line to await his next round turn.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 8HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 2MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 4MISS!
Atzu steps up and is the first to make a hit this round, his Bubblebeam bursting an orange balloon and snagging him a twenty point orange ticket. This successful hit causes him to get a little too excited, however, and his next two attacks fail, but another twenty points for his trainer is nothing to be sneezed at and he knows it. Taking his ticket over to Jess, Atzu returns to the end of the queue, eagerly watching while the next Pokémon takes to the stage.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!
Phoenix hops up, excited. The green balloons are all he's interested in, and he wastes no time is spitting out three Ember attacks, two of which miss while the third hits and bursts a balloon which gives him a fifteen point green ticket. Collecting the ticket in his little beak, he hops over to his trainer, drops it into Tyrant's lap, and makes his way to the end of the line.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!
Kain is a little nervous. Too many Pokémon have been missing their targets so he's hoping he won't be the next. His nerves are a little frayed, but he knows that attacks against the blue balloons have the highest chance of hitting their mark and so aims straight for them. Unfortunately his Hidden Power skims right past two of them, touching them but not with enough force to burst them. One does the trick though, bursting a balloon and giving him a five point blue ticket for this round. Picking it up, he returns it to his trainer with an apologetic look before taking his place at the end of the queue.

Zami & Eevee: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 10HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 15MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!
Eevee, energetic as ever, bounds up on stage and lets loose with her Swift attack. She immediately bursts a green balloon, but her attempts at the orange and blue both fail. Collecting her green ticket, she bounds over to Catherine, drops the ticket into her trainer's lap, and then bounds back along to the end of the line.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Qwilfish is looking a little pale and misses his first two shots at his red balloons. His Pin Missiles are fairly close, but not quite close enough to do the job. His third attack is a direct strike, and he gurgles happily as the balloon bursts to release his ten point red ticket. Collecting it, he once again returns to the end of the queue, pleased to have hit at least one balloon considering he's feeling a lot like a fish out of water at this point in time. Hmmm, wonder why?

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 12HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 5MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 16MISS!
With the orange balloons dwindling away, Tropius knows that he'll need to strike as many as he can this round in case he doesn't have another chance to go for them. Those Pidgey are still a pain in the neck though, so he aims carefully and HITS! Relieved to have scored another twenty pointer, he aims for another two orange balloons, but unfortunately the gusting winds are blowing his attacks off course and he misses his mark. Twenty points is twenty points though, and he collects his orange ticket before making his way back to the end of the queue secretly hoping that no more orange balloons are hit before he can try again.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 8HIT!
Glalie didn't too very well at all last round, but is hoping to do better this time. Luck just isn't on her side though and she misses her first tow shots at the blue and red balloons. Her third Ice Beam bursts an orange balloon though, and feeling a large gush of relief she collects her orange ticket, taking it over to Arnold before bouncing back to the end of the line.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
Kumori takes the stage next. She did fairly well last round and is hoping to do just as well this round. She starts off well, her first Powder Snow striking and bursting a red balloon, but unfortunately her next two attempts fail. She's managed to compile another ten points for her trainer though which has pushed herself and Kami back into second place for the time being.

With only three orange balloons left on the stage the race is on to see who can be the first to snag the remaining sixty points worth of larger scoring targets. Several more Pokémon have had a bad round which is giving those who were lagging behind the chance to sneak up silently through the ranks. At this point in time, Jess and Atzu are in the lead, but just because they're at the top now doesn't mean they'll stay there. Can Atzu hold onto his lead?

Round 7

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 16MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 13HIT!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 11HIT!
After having hit no balloons at all for two consecutive rounds, Rapture is looking a little worried. There are only three orange balloons left on the deck, and he knows that if he can't strike them now there is a very good chance he'll not have the opportunity to go for them again. He takes careful aim, the balloon he's targeting whooshing around wildly in the wind. His attack misses, but he refocuses, sending another two Dragonbreaths flying skyward. Both hit, giving him another forty points to add to his tally. Relieved to have gotten at least two of the remaining three orange balloons, he takes his two orange tickets to his trainer and then makes his way to the end of the queue, watching eagerly to see which Pokémon will successfully take out the last remaining orange.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 16MISS!
Inferno steps up, still miffed by his performance so far and absolutely blaming the stupid Pidgey for his inaccuracy thus far. He aims for a blue balloon first, unimpressed when he misses. Aiming next for red, he snorts angrily, the smoke coming from his nostrils showing just how annoyed he's becoming. Setting his sights on the last remaining orange balloon, he goes for it, his Flamethrower coming nowhere near the colourful balloon. With a snort of disgust, he makes his way off the stage and back to the end of the queue.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
Gible skips up onto the stage next. Though he'd hit no balloons last round, he's not at all downcast as he's having just too much fun to be bothered about whether he strikes them or not for the pretty colours bouncing around in the wind, the excitement of the festival, and the fact he's playing his first ever game are enough to keep him happy no matter what. Perhaps his good spirits are the cause of his luck this round, for he immediately strikes two of the blue balloons and jumps for joy upon watching the tickets that were inside float gently to the ground. He aims for a red balloon next, but misses. Excitedly collecting his two blue tickets, he takes them to his trainer before racing eagerly back to the end of the line to await his next turn.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Orange (20 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 20-sided die: 11HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!
With the last remaining orange balloon still in play, Atzu takes the stage. He wants to collect this ticket for Jess as he knows it will help to secure her lead in the game, but with the way the balloon is whooshing around in the gusting air currents he's not too sure he'll be able to pull it off. Taking careful aim, he studies the movement of the balloon and the Pidgey for a while before finally shooting a Bubblebeam skyward. The attack hits, bursting the last orange balloon in the game. Proud of himself, Atzu grins widely at Jess before turning his attention back to the remaining balloons. Now that all of the orange balloons are gone, he thinks back to his trainers instructions. Blue, blue, red, after all of the orange balloons are gone. Blue it is then. He aims for the blue balloons that are lowest on the stage, hitting one of the blues, but missing the second. Collecting his blue and orange tickets, worth a combined total of twenty five points, Atzu runs them over to Jess before taking his place at the end of the line, eager to see how he fares in round eight.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!
Phoenix hops up on stage again. His instructions are pretty simple, so he's not too fussed by the fact the last of the orange balloons are now gone. Taking careful aim, he shoots an Ember at a green balloon, but misses. Trying again, he jumps a little when his next attacks hits and the balloon explodes releasing a green ticket that flutters down onto the deck to land in front of him. Taking aim again, he tries for a third green balloon but misses. Sighing, he collects his fifteen point green ticket and takes it over to Tyrant before hopping back to the end of the queue.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!
Kain takes to the stage again, slightly disconcerted by the fact that the easiest of the balloons to hit are actually a lot harder than anticipated. He briefly wonders if he should be going for some of the higher scoring ones after all, especially considering luck is playing a large part in the games. Shrugging off these thoughts, the focuses upon the bottom row of blues, firing off his Hidden Power. His first attack misses, his second hits, and his third misses. Collecting his five point blue ticket, he's thankful he got at least one of them. Taking the ticket over to Ricco, Kain makes his way to the end of the queue, hoping he can collect enough blues during the remainder of the game to at least put himself and his trainer somewhere near the top of the score board.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!
Catherine's little Eevee is still as hyperactive as ever, and now that the last orange balloon is gone, has to once again adjust her instructions to account for there being one last colour. Go for them in a pattern from lowest to highest. With blue being the last she's attacked, it's time to go for red then green, and then blue since they're the only colours remaining on stage. Aiming for the red balloon Eevee makes a direct hit. Leaping up and down excitedly, she aims for green next and hits! Barking her approval, she aims next for a blue balloon, and for the first time in this game comes away with three perfect strikes in the one round. Collecting her three tickets that are worth a combined total of thirty points, Eevee takes them over to Catherine before bounding back to the end of the queue.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!
Qwilfish makes his way back onto the stage. For all intents and purposes, he shouldn't have even been allowed to enter this game as forcing him to play out of his natural habitat would be considered cruel by most. In many ways this particular Qwilfish if far from normal though, and he soldiers on, aiming for a red balloon and bursting it with his Pin Missile attack. His second shot misses, but his third hits its mark, giving him twenty points for this round. Collecting his tickets, he returns to the end of the queue, defying the laws of nature while he sits there awaiting his next turn.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 2MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!
Tropius takes the stage, and with no orange balloons left in play focuses upon the green balloons as instructed. Glad that they're a little easier to hit than the oranges, he attacks a little too quickly, missing all three shots. Unable to believe this has just happened, Tropius returns to the end of the line, wondering why on earth he was so careless this round.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!
With only one successful hit last round, and none in the round prior to that, Glalie returns to the stage. The orange balloons out of play only makes things easier for her as her trainer had instructed her to aim for a "mix of tiers". With only three colours left, and there being three shots per round, this makes things much easier as all she has to do is go for blue, red, green until all of another colour is gone. Simple enough. She aims for a blue balloon first and hits it, snagging herself a five point blue ticket. Aiming for red next, she misses before focusing upon a green balloon. She misses this one too, then returns to the end of the queue hoping to do better next round.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!
It's Kumori's turn again, and he's a little worried about the fact that even though he'd managed to pop the golden balloon for Kami, they're falling behind as far as overall points are concerned. Some of the other Pokémon are doing quite well, so he'll have to keep up with them if he's to ensure himself and Kami are to stay in the lead. He takes aim at a red balloon, bursting it and watching while a red ticket flutters to the ground. Ignoring the ticket for the time being, he aims for another red balloon, once again bursting it to release another red ticket. His third shot misses, but he's managed to add another twenty points to their tally, so Kumori comes away from this round with a smile on his little face.

Now that the orange balloons are gone the game should start to move faster. With less accuracy needed from this point forth these balloons should be poppin' left, right, and centre. Jess and Atzu are still in the lead, but others are starting to catch up now. With any luck this game should be over before long, but that's only if the Pokémon playing manage to hit their targets. Not everyone has been as lucky as they'd hoped so far, so how this game will turn out is still anyone's guess.

Round 8

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!
Rapture returns to the stage, but with all of the orange balloons gone he now needs to change his strategy. He remembers Stacey's instructions to move down the tiers as the balloons go, so he aims for the next highest level which is green. The Pidgey's gusts are still quite strong, even though they're a little further away from the greens than they were from the oranges, which still makes the greens a little trickier to hit. He takes aim, but misses his first shot. He aims again and fires another Dragonbreath. No luck. Taking aim a third time, his attack skims past a green balloon but isn't quite close enough to burst it. With no hits this round, Rapture returns to the end of the queue, watching while the next Pokémon moves up onto the stage.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!
Inferno steps up, his instructions clear in his mind. With no orange balloons left, he must aim for blue, red, green, in that order. Taking aim for a blue, he fires off a Flamethrower, the stream of fire skimming the side of the balloon. Surprisingly enough, the heat doesn't burst it, but he doesn't let it bother him too much. Aiming for red next, he unleashes another Flamethrower, but misses. He snorts, annoyed, shooting for the green a little too quickly, and missing his third shot in a row. Stomping from the stage, he returns to the end of the queue, hoping he'll at least have a few more shots at the greens in order to rack up his point tally. Hopefully...

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Gible hops up on stage next, this game being nothing more than that to him. A game, and a chance to enjoy himself. He's not all too hot on taking his time to aim for his targets, and fires off his first couple of Ice Beams a little too quickly. The first hits, but the second misses. Now that it's time to go for a red, he aims a little more carefully than before and successfully hits his target. Collecting his red and blue tickets, Gible returns them to Kim before making his way back to the end of the line.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
Atzu bounces up onto the stage, hoping to help onto his and Jess' lead this round. His first two targets are perfect hits, scoring him two blue tickets, but his third shot is a miss. He's still managed to secure another ten points, however, and he's happy with that, so he collects his tickets, hightails them over to Jess, and then returns to the end of the queue.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!
Phoenix hops up onto the stage. As his instructions right off the bat were pretty simple, he doesn't need to worry about accounting for the fact there are no orange balloons left, and focuses straight upon the green ones. He wonders what will happen once all of the green balloons are gone, as he'd not been given any alternative instructions, and hopes he won't have to sit out the remainder of the game while the fun goes on around him. This line of thinking isn't very helpful though, as his worry leads him to miss all three of the balloons he's aimed for. Disappointed in himself for not concentrating a little harder, he makes his way back to the end of the line so that the next Pokémon can take the stage.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!
Kain moves up next. After missing two of his three shots last round, and witnessing Phoenix's misses just now, he's a little nervous, and it shows. He's only aiming for the blue balloons, but he's feeling a little highly strung which has a disastrous affect upon his accuracy. Missing all three of his shots, he dejectedly steps down before making his way to the end of the queue.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!
Eevee bounds up onto the stage, still the little ball of energy that she's been throughout the entire game. The only other Pokémon with as much enthusiasm as her right now would have to be Gible, as the two of them are enjoying themselves so much that they don't seem to care much about whether they hit or miss their targets. Eevee's first Swift attack goes flying straight past a red balloon before she aims for a green one and hits it. A green ticket flutters to the ground, but before Eevee collects it, she goes for her third attempt, this time aiming for a blue balloon. She misses, but doesn't seem to mind. Collecting her single green fifteen point ticket, she returns it to Catherine before bounding off stage once again to take her place at the end of the queue.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
Qwilfish returns to the stage. He looks rather parched, and in desperate need of some water, but nonetheless does what he can to burst some balloons. His first attempt misses, his second is a hit, but his third is also a miss. Collecting his ten point red ticket, he returns to the end of the queue, hoping for all his worth that this torturous landlubbing game will be over very, very soon.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!
Tropius steps up. His last couple of rounds haven't gone too well at all, but he's hoping for better luck this time. His first shot is a hit which helps to boost his spirits, but his next two shots miss their mark. He's at least managed to secure another fifteen points this round which is a lot better than some of the others, so he's not exactly walking away empty handed. Collecting his green ticket, he hands it over to Zora before making his way to the end of the line to await his next turn.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 10HIT!
Glalie bounces up onto stage, immediately aiming for a blue balloon, but missing. Taking her time, she tries for a red, but her Ice Beam sails straight past it. Knowing that the green will be harder to hit than the other two, she takes her time for this attempt, and manages to hit it. Collecting the green ticket that flutters softly to the deck floor, she takes it to Arnold before returning to the end of the queue.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Kumori hasn't been doing too badly thus far, and as a result is feeling pretty good about himself. He knows his targeting skills aren't exactly spot on yet, but the fact he'd won his trainer the grand prize is enough consolation for him. He misses his first shot at a red balloon, but focuses a little better on his second shot, successfully popping a red balloon and releasing the ten point ticket inside. His third shot fails to hit its mark, but he's snagged another ten points for this round which is better than nothing. Collecting the ticket, he returns to the end of the line, eagerly awaiting the beginning of round nine.

This was a surprisingly bad round pretty much across the board, with only two Pokémon able to hit more than one balloon. Perhaps they've reached a plateau, or perhaps they're just becoming nervious. It may also be possible that the excitement is getting to them, causing their aim to be slightly off. Whatever the case, we're all hoping for a swift finish to this game as it's moving into late morning and the Hero's Parade will be starting shortly.

Round 9

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!
Rapture has been having some pretty crappy luck during recent rounds that is perhaps affecting him now. He barely manages to pop the first of the three balloons he's going for this round, his next two shots missing their mark. Collecting his fifteen point green ticket, he knows that at least one hit each round from this point on will be a good thing, but it doesn't stop him from feeling a little sad about the fact he'd missed two of his three shots. Taking his ticket over to Stacey, Rapture joins the end of the queue as the next Pokémon moves up onto the stage.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!
Inferno steps up, becoming more and more agitated each round as he continues to miss his mark. He promises himself to make sure he puts aside some time for target practice in the near future in order to avoid this kind of embarrassment again, but this line of thought doesn't serve him very well as his thoughts are distracting him to the point that he misses all three of his shots. Snorting with disgust, he steps down from the stage, hoping he'll do better next time.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Atsu is feeling quite nervous as he steps up on stage. He's helped to secure Jess a strong lead, but the pressure of keeping that lead is causing a few cracks to appear. Missing all three of his attempts this round, he steps sadly down from the stage, hoping he hasn't ruined his trainers chances of winning. Jess is supportive however, smiling at him and encouraging him on by wishing him luck in the next round.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!
Phoenix hops up onto the stage. His complete failure to hit any balloons at all last round is still in the forefront of his mind which is distracting as he takes his first shot at a green balloon. His Ember misses, but his second shot hits, securing him a fifteen point ticket. Hoping for another fifteen points, he goes for his third shot, but misses again. Collecting his single green ticket, he takes it over to Tyrant, drops it into his trainer's lap, and makes his way to the end of the queue.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
Kain has had disastrous luck so far, especially considering he's aiming solely for the easy five pointers. He wonders if he should at least be making an attempt to go for the higher scoring balloons, and after missing his first shot this round, is starting to get a little miffed. Luckily his next two attacks hit, bursting two blue balloons which release two five point tickets. Collecting them, he takes them over to Ricco before joining the end of the line.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!
Eevee once again bounds happily up onto the stage. Keeping in line with the pattern she's been following so far, she aims first for a red balloon which she hits. The red ticket released from the burst balloon floats to the ground, and after trying another two times to hit another of the two balloons on the deck, she collects her single red ticket, returning it to Catherine, and then makes her way to the end of the queue.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Qwilfish is well and truly parched now which perhaps has something to do with the fact that he successfully hits his first two targets this round. Pure frustration is getting him through at this stage, but upon missing his third target, he finds himself daydreaming about swimming with the fishes. God, how he misses the water right now. Collecting his twenty points worth of red tickets, he flops down from the stage and makes his way back to the end of the queue.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!
The one thing about aiming for the highest tier of balloons is the fact that they're worth more than all of the lower tiered ones. If he can get in at least one hit per round, then this entire game isn't in vain after all. Tropius hits his first green balloon which fills him with a sense of relief, but knowing that he's already gotten one of the three makes him slack off a little whilst going for his second and third shots. Both miss, but at least he's gained another fifteen points, and so he collects his ticket before stepping down from the stage.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!
Glalie hops up onto the stage, excited to be having yet another turn at hitting some balloons. This game, while frustrating, is rather fun to play, especially when watching the balloons pop, and so she aims carefully for a blue one, successfully bursting it. The blue ticket that was inside flutters softly to the ground, closely followed by a red ticket coming from the second balloon she's hit. Her third attempt fails, but she's still managed to collect fifteen points this round, so is feeling quite happy with herself.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Kumori had only managed to hit one of her three targets last round, and is hoping to do better this time. The lead she'd gained for Kami by bursting the golden balloon has already been taken, and he wants it back. Aiming very carefully this time, Kumori releases three Powder Snows, each and every one hitting their marks and gaining him thirty points for this round. He may not have gotten the lead back - yet, but he's hoping that if he can continue to pull out these kinds of moves, then he may still have the chance. Proudly collecting his three red tickets, Kumori passes them to Kami before returning to the end of the line which allows this game to move into round ten.

Despite the fact that Atzu hasn't hit any balloons this round, he's still managed to keep the lead for the time being. Other Pokémon are moving up through the ranks, and Kumori's great success has helped him to start catching up again on the leader board. There are still plenty more tickets out there to collect, meaning that each and every Pokémon is still in with a very good chance to win. Just how this game win pan out from now on is anyone's guess.

Round 10

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!
As round ten begins Rapture takes to the stage, wondering what this round will bring. So far he's managed to tally up a decent score, but if he continues to have bad round after bad round, then the won't be able to remain at the top of the score board. These thoughts are hampering him, however, as his nerves are now showing. As a result he misses all three of his targets this round. Disappointed not to have at least hit one of the three balloons he'd aimed for, he returns to the end of the line to await his next turn.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!
Inferno steps up, still fairly annoyed by his lack of luck in this game. His first hit is a miss which results in him releasing a mighty roar of approval, but his next two shots miss their mark. Huffing a little, he picks up the single blue ticket sitting on the deck floor, taking it over to his trainer before making his way to the end of the queue.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!
Gible hops up onto the stage again. He's unsure of exactly how many rounds are left in the game, but judging from just how many Pokémon are missing their targets, he's guessing he still has several turns left at the very least. This in itself is good news for Gible as he's enjoying himself immensely and eagerly fires off his Ice Beam toward the first of his targets. It misses, but this doesn't dampen his spirits. Taking aim again, he pops a blue balloon before aiming for a red one. His third attack is a miss, but he's still managed to gain himself one more ticket. Collecting it and returning it to his trainer, he skips back along the line of Pokémon waiting by the stage to take his place at the end of the queue.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
Atsu, still concerned about losing his lead, is nonetheless happy to step up for his next turn. Jess' encouragement is certainly helping him to feel a lot better after his last round, and even though he misses his first shot this round, it doesn't stop him from trying a little harder on his second shot. This time his Bubblebeam bursts a blue balloon which puts a huge smile on his face, and even though he misses his third shot at a red, he happily picks up his single blue ticket before making his way back to the end of the line.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!
Phoenix hops up next. He realises it's imperative at this point in the game to be snagging as many green balloons as possible for they're very likely to be the next ones to disappear, just as the orange ones had. The fact he's only been instructed to go for green balloons is a little concerning too, so he aims very carefully before firing off his Ember attack. The attack hits, popping a green balloon and releasing a fifteen point ticket. Relieved to have already hit one of them, he's not as careful when aiming for his next two balloons, missing both of them. A little disappointed, yet happy to have hit at least one of them, Phoenix collects his ticket, takes it over to his trainer, and then makes his way to the end of the queue.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
Kain steps up for another turn. Though he's becoming a little frustrated, he hits his first balloon without any trouble at all. The blue ticket inside flutters to the deck floor, and although he misses his second shot, his third also bursts another blue balloon. Collecting his two tickets which give him an added ten points to his current fifty five point tally, he makes his way to the end of the queue, glad to have hit more than one, or even none at all, this time around.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
Qwilfish flops up onto the stage, a little freaked out by a story Tropius has just whispered in his ear. He's not sure if the leafy dinosaur-like Pokémon is having him on or not, but whatever the case, the story has managed to scare the living crap out of the poor little fish. As a result, he misses all three of his shots at the red balloons, and finds himself wishing more than ever for this game to be over so that he can return to the safety of his Pokéball where he won't be seeing any mysterious killer statues anywhere nearby.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!
Tropius steps up next, rather pleased with himself after having succeeded in making Qwilfish so nervous that it'll give him some extra shots at the green balloons. It seems karma is at work though, for he also misses all three of his shots. Perhaps deliberately freaking Qwilfish out wasn't such a good idea after all. He returns to the end of the queue, resolving not to tell any more of the contestants any more weird and wacky stories.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!
Glalie hops up on stage wondering what on earth is going on between Qwilfish sho is shaking like a leaf, and Tropius who appears to be looking rather guilty. She doesn't waste too much time dwelling on it though, and takes aim for a blue balloon, successfully bursting it with her Ice Beam before aiming for a red one. She misses, but then turns her attention to one of the high floating green balloons. Aiming carefully, she takes it out, giving her a round tally of twenty points and a total of one hundred and fifty five. She collects her two tickets, taking them over to Arnold on her way back to the end of the queue.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
Kumori is feeling quite confident after last his success during the last round, not even batting an eyelid when he misses his first red balloon this round. Taking aim a second time, he pops another of the reds before aiming for his third. Me misses again, but has still scored ten points this round. Happy with this, he collects his ticket before making his way back to the end of the line as round ten comes to a close.

Very few Pokémon have gotten very far this round which means there are still plenty of balloons left on deck. Some are becoming quite frustrated, others are totally enjoying themselves, and even more are wondering if they'll ever manage to burst every balloon on the stage before the Hero's Parade begins. Taryn is excited as the game moves into round eleven, urging all Pokémon to try their very best. Each resolve to try and do better from this point forth, as there is no telling just how long this game has left to go.

Round 11

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!
Rapture makes his way back onto the stage. He didn't have a good round last time, but is hoping for better luck this time around. Unfortunately Lady Luck has abandoned him today though, all three of his shots at the green balloons missing their mark. He makes his way off stage, wondering how many more rounds he has left in which to accumulate some points.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!
Inferno steps up. He's had shocking luck in this game so far, but it's certainly far from over yet so he may still have the opportunity to get into the lead. His first shot is a hit, and he watches smugly as a single blue ticket flutters down to the deck. His next two shots miss their respective red and green balloons though, which quickly wipes the smirk from his face. He humbly collects his one blue ticket, and returns to the end of the queue to await his next turn.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Gible bounces up onto the stage, the excitement of the game making him more eager than ever to have another turn. He aims first for a blue balloon, striking it to release a five point blue ticket. Immediately taking aim for another blue balloon, he misses, but that doesn't stop him from trying again. This time he aims for a red balloon, his Ice Beam smacking straight through it and giving him a ten point red ticket in addition to his blue ticket. Happily collecting them, he races off the stage, eager for some more fun next round.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!
Kami and Kumori are hot on Atzu's tail as far as points go, so if Atzu wants to stay in the lead he's going to have to work some magic this round. His nerves are a little frayed which cause him to miss his first balloon, but he soon makes up for it by striking and bursting a blue one with his next shot. His third target is a miss, but at least he's walking away with five points from this round which is better than nothing at all.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!
Kain is next, and after seeing Phoenix's success, steps up with a little more confidence. He also strikes the first two balloons that he aims for, missing the third, and while his hits haven't given him the same thirty points that Phoenix had collected, it still gives him a total of then. That's nothing to sneeze at, so he collects his tickets and prepares to move into round twelve.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!
Eevee moves up next, the ecxitable pup running in circles while chasing her tail. She eventually turns her attention to the balloons, and considering that's why she's up here, it's a good thing she's remembered what she's supposed to be doing. Her first shot hits, her second and third ones missing, but she's happy with her single red ticket and takes it over to Catherine before making her way back to the end of the queue.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
It looks like Qwilfish is still a little spooked by the story he'd heard, or perhaps he's just feeling a little parched. Whatever the case, he misses all three of his shots at the red balloons, and grumpily makes his way off stage so that the next Pokémon can step up.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!
Karma is still at work, for Tropius repeats Qwilfish's failed round eleven attempt, missing every single one of the green balloons he's aimed for. He's been hoping for at least one balloon per round so that he can keep his point tally on the rise, but it just hasn't worked for him in he last two rounds. Making his way off the stage, he hopes he has the chance to show off his accuracy skills soon.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!
Glalie bounces up on to the stage next, taking careful aim at a blue balloon before firing off her Ice Beam. It strikes the balloon on the side, bursting it and releasing a blue ticket, her successful hit causing her to move a little too quickly as she aims for her next balloon. Her shot at the red one misses, so she takes her time before aiming for her third balloon. She hits it, releasing a green ticket. Collecting her prizes for this round, Glalie bounces happily back to the end of the line, proud of the fact she's scored herself and her trainer an additional twenty points.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Kumori moves up next, wanting desperately to catch up on his previous lead. Perhaps his anxiety is effecting his accuracy, because he misses all three of his shots. A little disappointed that he hasn't managed to add to his current point tally, he moves off the stage and returns to the end of the queue as the balloon game moves into round twelve.

Though a couple of Pokémon have done well this round, helping them to move further ahead on the score board, most haven't had a very good trot. Perhaps tensions are high, or perhaps the gusting Pidgey are just a bigger hindrance than they'd first thought, but whatever the case, very little progress has been made overall. There are only twenty nine green balloons left, and while that doesn't seem like a very low number, all it takes is one decent round of hits for those balloons to disappear. Everyone is excited now, wondering who will be lucky enough to collate the most points in the game.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Just as round twelve is about to begin a strange pulse of energy shoots into the sky from somewhere in the distance, turning it a pretty shade of magenta. A shockwave of energy passes across the land that is felt by all, and the earth trembles for several moments before everything returns to normal. The sky turns blue again, the earth falls still, and all is as it was. Taryn is quick to laugh it off, claiming it to be a festival related event that you'd all missed due to being engrossed in the game. Something in her eyes doesn't quite mirror the certainty in her voice, and if anyone would take the time to look they'd see a definite sign of fear. With Taryn's nonchalant brush off, all trainers, Pokémon, and spectators return their attention to the game, the odd pulse already forgotten as round twelve beings.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Round 12

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 2MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!
Rapture takes the stage for his first shot at a green balloon in round twelve. In the last three rounds he's only managed one hit, and as a result is feeling a little uncertain. His first shot this time doesn't help him feel any better as he misses his target by a fair distance. If he could sweat, he probably would be, and takes his time aiming for his next balloon. This shot hits its mark, relief washing over him and causing him to attack a little too quickly with his third and final shot. He misses, but has at least manage to snag another fiften points this round. He collects his green ticket, takes it over to Stacey, and then makes his way to the end of the queue.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!
Inferno is back on stage, and he makes his entrance with a fiery blast. His Flamethrower rips through the air, striking and bursting a blue balloon. He roars his approval, letting loose with another Flamethrower that bursts a second balloon, this time a red one. He roars even louder this time before sending a third Flamethrower streaking toward a green balloon. Unfortunately this one misses, but he's nabbed himself fifteen points for this round so he's not too concerned despite the fact this last balloon is worth as much as the other two combined. Collecting his tickets, he hands them to Alto on his way back to the end of the line.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
Gible hops up onto the stage, just as eager as ever to be up here again, shooting off Ice Beams at random balloons. He goes for his usual pattern of blue, blue, red, striking the first two, but missing the last. He's snagged himself two blue tickets, so with another ten points added to his current tally, he collects his tickets, takes them over to his trainer and then races back to the end of the line, already impatient for his next turn.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!
Atzu steps up again. He's still in the lead, but knows he needs to hone his accuracy if he wants to stay in first place on the score board. He aims carefully for a blue balloon, hitting it and scoring himself a five point ticket. His next two shots miss their mark, however, but he's at least managed to get something this round as opposed to nothing at all. Retrieving his ticket, he steps down from the stage.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!
Phoenix is feeling pretty good after last round; two out of three hits ain't bad, and so he enters this round with a fair amount of confidence. His first two shots miss which doesn't do well for his morale, but upon striking his third balloon and bursting it, he sighs with relief. Fifteen points higher on the score board, he retrieves his green ticket and makes his way to the end of the queue.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
Kain steps up. He'd taken out two balloons last round and is hoping to do just as well, if not better, this round. His first shot misses, but his next two skim the sides of his targets hard enough to burst them and release the tickets within. They flutter to the deck floor where he retrieves them before taking them over to his trainer.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!
Catherine's boundless little ball of energy leaps up onto the stage, eager to be the centre of attention while she excitedly sends her Swift attacks flying toward three of the balloons on the stage. Her first two shots at red and green balloons miss, but her third shot, this time for a blue one, bursts the party favourite to release its concealed five point blue ticket. She barks excitedly, collects her ticket, races over and plops it into Catherine's lap, and bounds back down the queue of Pokémon standing by the stage to take her place at the end of the line.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!
Qwilfish struggles up onto the stage. He's a little peeved that Tropius had managed to cause him to lose every one of his shots in the previous two rounds, and is determined to show the oversized banana tree that it hasn't gotten the better of his. Focusing his full attention on his three targets, Qwilfish unleashes three sets of Pin Missiles, each and every one of them bursting a red balloon and releasing three red tickets. Flopping away with a total of thirty points for this round, he makes a guttural kind of gurgling sound as he passes by Tropius, just to show his opponent he's not to be outdone so easily.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!
Tropius watches Qwilfish making its way to the end of the queue, berating him for having distracted it for long enough. He's feeling slightly guilty, if not or Qwilfish then for his own actions and resulting karma which is now affecting his own performance, and slowly steps up on stage. He misses his first two shots, taking a deep breath before unleashing his Leaf Storm upon the third green balloon. It's a hit, and with a sigh of relief Tropius hopes that his unlucky streak has now ended because he's not sure just how many more chances he's going to have to go for the green balloons. Collecting his ticket, he takes it to Zora, before joining the end of the queue.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 2MISS!
Glalie takes the stage. She's trying not to get too caught up in the excitement as the balloons continue to pop, for she's afraid that she may miss too many if she does. She knows what she has to do and obediently follows Arnold's instructions, aiming for a mixture of tiers for a little diversity. Her Ice Beam successfully bursts a blue and red balloon, but she misses the higher scoring green balloon. That's alright though, because she's still snagged fifteen points for this round which is a nice little addition to her overall tally.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!
Kumori moves up onto the stage. His last round was disastrous, so he's hoping he'll do better this time. It seems nerves are getting at him though, because he misses all three of his shots. With round twelve coming to a close, Kumori makes his way to the end of the queue, knowing that he'll need to do better if he wants to stay in the top three.

Overall, round twelve has been a little more successful that round eleven, but there are still many points available to score. At this stage of the game it's looking like those who have decided to go for the higher tiered balloons actually have the right form of strategy in mind, but there's still a long way to go. This is still anyone's game.

Round 13

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!
Rapture has had a few unlucky rounds and at this point is hoping to nab at least one balloon per round. Any more than that will be great, but one will be fantastic. He aims for his first green balloon, unleashing his Dragonbreath which is gusted away by the surrounding Pidgey. He tries again, this time striking a green balloon and popping it. He sparks happily when his green tickets flutters to the deck, and even though he misses his next target he's happy to have at least scored fifteen points which is certainly better than no points at all.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!
Inferno steps up next, feeling quite good after having made two successful hits last round. He fires off his Flamethrower, the fiery stream engulfing a blue balloon and bursting it, almost setting his ticket alight in the process. He roars with pride, but has perhaps become a little too cocky for he attacks his next two balloons a little too quickly. Both attacks miss, but at least he's walking away with one ticket this round as opposed to none at all.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Gible is so excited that he practically bounces up onto the stage. He misses his first balloon as he's a little too eager to get started, but his second attempt at a blue hits, gaining him a five point blue ticket. Aiming next for a red balloon, his Ice Beam hits it dead centre, and he leaps for joy. Collecting his two tickets, he returns them to his trainer before happily skipping to the end of the Pokémon queue lined up beside the stage.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Atzu steps up next. His last few rounds have been less than impressive, but he's hoping to do better this time. When his first attack misses a little sweatdrop appears on his forehead, but he refocuses upon his target and shoots off a Bubblebeam, his attack bursting a blue balloon. He beams with pride, aiming next for a red balloon. Once again, his attack hits! Happily collecting his round thirteen tickets, both of which will add another fifteen points to his score, he hands them over to Jess before making his way to the end of the queue.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!
Phoenix hops up onto the stage next. While his efforts haven't exactly been spectacular, he doesn't feel bad about it for none of the other Pokémon are doing any better than him as far as the overall hit to miss ratio is concerned. If he can at the very least continue to burst one balloon each round then his tally will continue to steadily rise, so he feels quite happy about that. His first two shots this round miss, but his third is a direct hit which helps to give him a sense of relief. Collecting his fifteen point green ticket, he hops over to his trainer, drops it into Tyrant's lap, and then returns to the end of the queue.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!
Eevee runs up onto the stage, pleased as punch to be having another turn at this excitingly loud balloon popping game. Every time a balloon bursts it makes her even more hyperactive, and after Kain's success just now she's in quite an overjoyed state. She fires off her Swift attack toward a red balloon, barking excitedly as it bursts to release its ticket. Her second attack misses, but she soon refocuses, aiming next for a blue balloon. It hits, scoring her an additional five point blue ticket. Collecting them both, she races them over to Catherine, giving her trainer's hand a happy lick before she bounds off down the side of the stage to take her place at the end of the queue.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Qwilfish is next, and even though he'd had a highly successful turn last round, he's not looking too crash hot. He's in desperate need of water, a fact the shows through his sloppy attempt at hitting the red balloons this round. Each and every one of his Pin Missile attacks streak past his targets, a couple coming close, but not quite close to pop them. He gurgles something unintelligible before awkwardly making his way back to the end of the queue with no tickets to show for his efforts this round.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!
Tropius steps up next, happy to see that a lot of green balloons are still present, yet quite frustrated that he's so far not been able to hit as many as he would like. He takes aim, missing his first and second attempts, but succeeds with his third. Fifteen points higher on the score board, Tropius returns to the end of the queue as round thirteen enters its closing stages.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!
Though thirteen is considered an unlucky number by most, Glalie is hoping this round will prove to be fruitful. Going for her by now familiar colour pattern, she aims for a blue balloon, bursting it to release the ticket inside. Her attempt at the red balloon fails, but her Ice Beam pops a green balloon, giving her two colourful tickets and twenty points for this round.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
After Kumori's brilliant efforst last round, he moves up onto the stage hoping he can continue on with his winning streak. His first attack hits, scoring him an additional ten points to add to his overall tally, but he attacks a little two quickly for his second and third shots, missing both red balloons he's aimed for. Collecting his single red ticket, he takes it to Kami before making his way to the end of the queue.

Round thirteen has seen a mix of good and bad luck spread amongst the playing Pokémon which isn't really all that different to any other round so far. Though I sincerely doubt anyone is actually reading any of this commentary I'll keep going anyway because I'll feel a lot better posting a proper update as opposed to missing out on a load of commentary just to save some time. If you happen to be persistent, and extremely bored after having come this far through it, and actually see this little comment in amongst the rest of the update, I'll give you a candy for your efforts. Think about how long it's taken you to read all of this, and consider how long it's taken to type it. If you're the first to quote me, with no edit to your post after discovering someone else has seen this, the candy is yours! As round thirteen comes to a close there are still 785 points worth of tickets left in play which means that everyone still has a pretty decent chance of stealing the lead.

Round 14

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!
Rapture, after having secured a decent score in earlier rounds, isn't having a lot of luck as the game continues to move along. He's falling behind on the score board which causes him to waver and as a result miss every one of his shots at a green balloon. Though there are still a fair few left on the deck, he knows that the other Pokémon only need to have a good round or two before they all disappear. Moving to the end of the line, Rapture hopes to pick up his game in the next round.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!
Inferno steps up practically before Rapture has left the stage. After only securing five points last round, he's hell bent on ensuring he snags a better score this time around. He suspects that after the green balloons are gone the game will move pretty swiftly as the only remaining balloons will be lower scoring one, but a lot easier to hit. If he can get his tally up now, it will pay off later on. His first Flamethrower bursts a blue balloon, giving him another five points to add to his tally. Aiming next for a red, his fiery stream of... fire... engulfs a red balloon to give him an additional ten points. The green is next, and eyeing the gusting Pidgey, he's slightly tempted to roast the one closest to his target. He refrains, however, as he's afraid he may be disqualified if he acts on his feelings. Unleashing a third fiery blast, his attack misses. Roaring with disapproval, he collects his blue and red tickets before leaving the stage.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
Gible dances up onto the stage, performing an excited little pirouette before letting loose with his Ice Beam. His attack rips right through a blue balloon, bursting it and releasing a blue ticket that flutters down to land softly on the deck. Aiming for another blue, his attack streaks straight past it. He's far from deterred though, as he's too happy to be bothered with whether or not he hits the balloons, so long as he can at least have a turn. Setting his sights on a red balloon, he releases another beam of ice, but misses. Grinning from ear to ear, Gible collects his single blue ticket before dancing back along the line of waiting Pokémon to take his place at the end of the queue.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!
Atzu steps up next. He hadn't done too badly last round and is hoping for similar luck this time. Concentrating first on two of the blue balloons, his Bubblebeam successfully hit both of them, scoring him an addition ten points to add to his overall tally. Praying he'll hit the red, he takes his shot, but misses. Two out of three is a good effort though, so he collects his two tickets, takes them over to Jess, and heads back to the end of the line.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!
Phoenix steps up onto the deck. He hasn't been doing too badly so far, but he senses that time is running out and wants to do better this time. Taking careful aim at a green balloon, he fires off his Ember, but the attack is blown away by the gusting Pidgey. Sweating a little, he refocuses, his concentration helping him to score two direct hits. Collecting the two green tickets he's released, he happily hops over to Tyrant, offers his trainer the tickets, and skips back to the end of the line to await his next turn.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!
Kain is feeling pretty good after his success last round, his confidence helping to give him that added edge. He aims for a blue balloon, striking it and bursting it to release the ticket inside. Repeating his actions, he also hits his next two targets, walking away from this round with an additional fifteen points to add to his overall tally.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Qwilfish returns to the stage, wanting to do better so that this game can be over and he can return to the lovely security of his Pokéball. He hopes his trainer will allow him a nice long swim after putting him through the torture of playing a land game, but he sincerely doubts that will eventuate. Concentrating on the red balloons, Qwilfish manages to his the first two he aims for, but misses the third. He's still secured twenty points for this round though, so all is (almost) good in the world.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!
Tropius steps up, his eyes already focused upon the green balloons. Perhaps he's a little too eager to snag a few of them before they're gone, or perhaps the Pidgey are just making his life difficult at the moment, but whatever the case he misses all three of his shots. Disappointed, Tropius returns empty handed to the end of the queue, hoping the green balloons aren't all gone by the time he has another shot at them.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!
Glalie bounces up onto the stage, her blue, red, green picking order implanted firmly in her mind by this stage of the game. Her Ice Beam sails straight past the blue balloon, but her second shot at the red one hits, scoring her a ten point red ticket. Aiming for a green one next, her freezing cold beam of ice tears right through it, bursting it and releasing the fifteen point green ticket inside. Happy to have snagged the two highest scoring balloons this round, she proudly collects the tickets and takes them over to Arnold before making her way back to the end of the queue.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Kumori approaches the stage next, his eyes focused only on the red balloons. They've done him well so far, so he's hoping they'll continue to help him stay in the top three. His first attack misses causing him to worry slightly, but his next attack is a direct hit. He watches the red ticket flutter to the ground before aiming for his third and final balloon for this round. His Powder Snow washes right past the balloon, but he's at least made one hit this round which keeps him in second place on the score board.

The end of round fourteen sees Glalie move up the score board to tie for first place with Atzu. Kumori is holding on to his second place position at the moment while Phoenix isn't too far behind in third. There are still plenty more balloons to go, including eighteen of the fifteen point green balloons, so there is still time for the remaining Pokémon to move up the ranks.

Round 15

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!
With unpleasant thoughts of bad round after bad round plaguing him, Rapture moves up onto the stage. He's more than nervous at this point, but after striking a green balloon with his first shot, cheers up immensely. He aims again, his Dragonbreath shooting skyward and taking out a second green balloon. He knows that whether his next shot is a hit or miss, he's still done exceptionally well in this round and is already feeling quite proud. He has little to worry about however, for his third attempt is just as successful as his first two, a green balloon bursting to reveal his third ticket for this round. Collecting his forty five points worth of ticket, she proudly presents them to Stacey, happy to have partially made up for having missed so many balloons in previous rounds.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!
Inferno is feeling pretty good about having hit two of the balloons in the last round and takes the stage with an air of confidence. He burst out a Flamethrower, immediately engulfing a blue balloon. Aiming next for a red one, he lets loose with another flaming stream of fire, hitting his target and releasing his second ticket for the round. Snorting his approval, he focuses upon a green balloon, his Flamethrower taking it out with a loud BANG! Cheers erupt from the crowd as Inferno rears his head back to roar his approval, for everyone is excited by the fact that he'd finally managed to snag himself three successful hits. Retrieving his blue, red, and green tickets, Inferno struts over to Alto, hands his trainer the tickets, and returns to the end of the queue with a pleased glint in his eye.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!
With Rapture and Inferno making a spectacular start to the round, Gible feels that he needs to match their success. He lets loose with two Ice Beams, each one bursting a blue balloon, and while loud cheers erupt from the crowd to see that three Pokémon have managed to hit all of their targets so far, Gible becomes a little too excited and misses his shot at a red. He's far from upset though, as the encouragement from his trainer and the crowd is only aiding in making him happier than ever, so he eagerly collects his two blue tickets, taking them over to Kim before skipping back to the end of the queue, already impatient for his next turn.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!
Every lucky streak has to end somewhere, and even though Phoenix steps up with high hopes for this round after seeing how those before him have performed, he somehow manages to miss all three of his attempted shots at the green balloons. There are only fourteen left on the stage, so unless he can start hitting some more soon, me may not have very long left to take part in this game considering he's only been instructed to go for the green ones. Disappointed not to have done a little better, he steps down, hoping he'll snag some next round.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!
Kain has had a good running the last few rounds, after making quite a slow start. Of his last nine balloons, he's hit eight of them, so he steps up on stage with a good deal of confidence. He wavers slightly after missing his first blue balloon, but he doesn't let it get to him. Refocusing, and concentrating on what he's doing, he bursts the next two, giving him two blue tickets, and ten points for this round.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!
Eevee practically leaps up onto the stage, all of the balloon popping going on around her adding to her already overexcited state. She fires off her Swift attacks a little too quickly, missing all three of her attempted shots. Slightly disappointed for not paying closer attention and aiming properly, she leaves the stage, bounding to the end of the queue to await her next turn.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!
Qwilfish returns to the stage appearing decidedly parched. He's longing for the water, and once again wishes this were a water based game in which he could excel. This is not the case, however, and his distracting thoughts lead him to miss all three of the red balloons he's aimed for. At this point he doesn't seem to care too much as he's more interested in wanting the game finished in order to end his torture, and gladly hops hops from the stage to allow the next Pokémon to have their turn.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!
Tropius steps up, well aware of the fact that the green balloons are dwindling away. Hoping to score at least one, he's relived when hit first attack bursts a green balloon to release the ticket inside. Hoping for a similar run to that of Rapture and Inferno, he aims for his next green balloon. He misses, and then misses his third shot again. At least he has one ticket for this round though, and eagerly collects it, returning it to Zora before taking his place back at the end of the queue.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!
Glalie bounces up next. She's not done too badly in recent rounds and is hoping her luck stays with her. Her first shot is far from lucky, completely missing a blue balloon, but her next ice Beam rips straight through a red one which hypes her up for her third attempt. She focuses carefully upon a gusting green balloon, watching its movements and hoping she'll be able to judge in which direction it will flit next. Unleashing her attack, she watches as her Ice Beam passes through the balloon and bursts it to reveal another green ticket. Happily collecting her red and green tickets, she takes them over to Arnold, eager for round sixteen to begin.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!
Kumori moves up onto the stage. He'd hit only one balloon last round and is hoping to secure his lead by hitting more this time around. Though his first shot fails to hit its mark, he doesn't give up, concentrating harder on his targets. His next two shots are perfect, hitting and bursting two red balloons, and giving him another twenty points to add to his overall total as the game moves into round sixteen.

Round fifteen has seen a new leader emerge as Glalie brings herself and Arnold up to the top of the score board. Kumori's success this round has finally brought himself and Kami back in front of Atzu and Jess, but there are still many more balloons left on the stage. As the players move into round sixteen, some are nervous, others excited, and the crowd is cheering each and every one of the Pokémon on as there are now only fifty two of the original two hundred and fifty one balloons left. Something will have to give soon, and everyone knows it; both players and spectators alike.

Round 16

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!
There are only twelve green balloons left on deck, and Rapture knows this could very well be one of his last chances to go for them since he's been instructed to always go for the highest scoring tier. He aims carefully, but misses his first shot. Nervous, he takes aim for the same green balloon, determined to hit it this time. He succeeds, popping it and releasing a pretty green ticket. There are now only eleven greens left, so he'll have to be careful. Taking a little longer than usual before firing off his Dragonbreath, he watches while another green balloon bursts, the ticket inside fluttering down to the stage floor to land next to the other one. With a sigh of relief, he collects them both, takes them to Stacey, and prays the other Pokémon won't take out the remainder of the greens before he has a chance to take at least one more shot at them.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!
Inferno steps up next, completely and utterly hyped after his success last round. Perhaps a little too confident, he misses his first blue balloon, but is more careful when taking his second shot. He takes out a red balloon before setting his sights on one of the remaining ten greens. Perhaps his nerves are getting to him a little because he misses his mark, his Flamethrower sailing past the balloon and bringing his turn to a close. He collects his single red ticket, glad that he'd at least manage to hit one of them though it's not an extremely consoling thought at the moment considering he knows he could have done much better if only he'd concentrated a little harder.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!
The cheering crowd, popping balloons, and general excitement of the game, are all factors that make this little Gible one very happy fellow indeed. He dashes up on to the stage, so eager to have his turn and to actually want to burst a balloon this time that he actually takes a moment to aim properly for his first target. Gible's attack hits dead centre, bursting a blue balloon and releasing the ticket inside. Jumping for joy, Gible attacks a little too swiftly with his next two shots, not taking the time to aim properly, and missing both as a result. He's not too concerned though, and collects his ticket for his trainer before racing back to the end of the queue to await his next turn.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!
Atzu steps up onto the stage looking quite nervous. He'd held the lead for himself and Jess for quite a while, but has now slipped back into third place. He wants nothing more than to make his trainer proud by winning this game for her and takes him time aiming for the balloons. Practically everyone is holding their breath while waiting for him to finally attack, but before long he's managed to burst each and every one of the balloons he's aimed for. His two blue tickets and one red have given him twenty points for this round which he's hoping is enough to push them up higher on the score board at the conclusion of this round.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 10HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!
Phoenix appears a little downcast after missing all three balloons last round, but with only ten greens left on the board he knows he needs to pull out a miracle. Focusing carefully on the gusting Pidgey and the balloons, he fires off and Ember and strikes his first target. Cheers erupt from the crowd and Torchic's little eyes light up with pride. Turning back to the stage he sets his sights on another green balloon, carefully aiming before unleashing another Ember. Second hit! Two shots and thirty points, leaving one more shot for him this round. The cheers from the crowd are overwhelming, making him feel almost invincible, and as a result he's not as careful with his aim for his third and final shot this round. His Ember misses its mark, but rather than being upset by this, he's thrilled to have scored another thirty points for himself and his trainer.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
By this stage of the game, Kain is wishing that he and Ricco had gone with a different strategy. Kain certainly isn't doing badly as far as overall hits go, but his score certainly doesn't reflect his effort due to the fact he's been hitting the lower scoring blue balloons. Despite his concerns, he takes to the stage and immediately focuses upon the blue balloons, just as his trainer had instructed. His first shot is a miss, but he strikes his next two balloons quite easily which gives him an additional ten points to add to his overall tally. Even if he's not at the top of the leader board, Kain knows he can be proud of his efforts as far as numbers are concerned especially during these final rounds.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
The cheering crowds and general excited atmosphere of this festival game has Catherine's hyperactive little pup operating on full thrusters. She leaps up onto the stage, totally enjoying being the centre of attention while she lets loose with her swift attacks at the array of colourful balloons before her. Each one of her attacks hit their mark giving Eevee one blue, one red, and one green ticket totalling 30 points for the round. Barking with approval as the crowd cheers her efforts, Eevee collects her tickets and bounds back to the end of the queue, playfully chasing her tail while waiting for the next round to begin.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
With the game quite obviously moving into a close, Qwilfish is in emotional turmoil. He wants this game to be over, he's disappointed he hasn't gotten more points so far, and he's frustrated for not trying harder last round. As he plops himself down in front of the colourful balloons, he finds himself dearly wanting to burst as many of them as possible so as to make this unpleasant land game well worth his efforts. Though he wants to do better, his mind is spinning with many different thoughts which is slightly offputting as far as his accuracy is concerned. The thoughts distracting him lead him to miss all three of hos shots at the red balloons. A loud, "Awwwww," comes from the crowd, and he looks at them, gurgling something that everyone presumes to mean, "Maybe next time," before he makes his way off the stage.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 15MISS!
Tropius steps up next, keen to have his turn while there are still several green balloons left on stage. He's under no illusions that he may not have another turn at them, especially now that there are only seven left, and that a fair few of the participating Pokémon are going for them. A little too eager, Tropius misses his first shot, but refocuses and hits the balloon on his second attempt. Trying for another green, he misses, snagging only fifteen points of a possible forty five for this round. A little disappointed, he retrieves his ticket before making his way to the end of the queue.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!
Glalie bounces up onto the stage. Atzu's spectacular round has pushed him and Jess back into first place, and Glalie would like to reclaim that position for herself and Arnold. Desperation sets in as she knows it's crucial at this stage of the game to get in as many hits per round as possible, whether they're smaller or higher scoring balloons, as every single point matters. A little too desperate to hit, she panics slightly and ends up missing her first shot. With one shot down, two to go, and a lead to reclaim, she becomes even more nervous, missing her second and third shots as well, and cementing Atzu's current lead. Looking apologetically toward her trainer, she makes her way to the end of the queue as the final Pokémon for round sixteen takes the stage.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!
Kumori takes his position on the deck, hoping to secure a position in the top two on the score board. He aims carefully before letting loose his Powder Snow and bursting a red balloon which gives him another ten points to add to his final tally. Excited, he moves a little too quickly with his next shot, missing his mark, but soon compensates by bursting another red balloon on his third attempt. He's done what he'd hoped, not only surpassing Arnold and Glalie, but Jess and Atzu as well which has put him in first place as round sixteen comes to a close.

The scores are tight as four Pokémon battle it out to share first, second, and third place on the score board. All of their positions have shuffled from the previous round, some surging forward thanks to some lucky hits while others fall behind after Lady Luck has apparently decided to abandon them. An added air of tension is passing through the playing Pokémon as there are only six green balloons left on the deck which means there is a very good chance some of them may not even have the opportunity to try striking one. As this game moves into its final rounds, the crowd and the trainers are cheering the Pokémon on, excitement building as everyone waits anxiously to see who will come out of this game as the winner.

Round 17

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 7HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!
Rapture takes the stage. He'd managed to hit two out of three green balloons last round, and if he can pull it off again this round then he'll be one very happy little Rotom. He takes careful aim, fully aware of the fact that there are only six green balloons left in play. His Dragonbreath sails toward his first target and the crow erupts in cheers as the balloon pops, releasing the green ticket inside. Rapture aims again, being very, very careful, and successfully hits his second green balloon of the round. Just one more, he's hoping. He aims and fires off his attack, but the gusting Pidgey send the balloon off in a completely different direction just as the attack is about to hit. He's still managed to hit two of the green balloons though, giving him another thirty points to add to his final tally.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 2MISS!
Inferno steps up in front of the cheering crowd, nodding his head politely to acknowledge their support. He focuses on the balloons, first aiming for a blue balloon and bursting it before taking aim for a red one. His attack misses, so he sets his sights on one of the four remaining greens. With so few left on the stage, and so many Pokémon left to play before his next turn, Inferno can't see how he'll have another chance at this and stares hard at it gusting about in the heavy wind. Finally unleashing his Flamethrower, the attack streaks past the side of the balloon, but not quite close enough to burst it. He snorts, disappointed, but retrieves his single blue ticket before stepping off the stage.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!
Gible races up onto the stage, thrilled to bits to be having another turn in this most fun and exciting, balloon popping game. He knows it's drawing to a close and that he won't have many more chances to play, so he's a little more careful with his targeting this time around. He hits his first blue balloon and jumps up and down excitedly upon seeing it burst before looking at another one and sending his Ice Beam sailing straight past. With an "Oops" expression on his face, he concentrates on a red balloon this time, taking a moment to study just how much the balloon is moving in the breeze before sending his ice cold beam straight at it. His attack hits, snagging him his second hit for this round. With an excited cry he retrieves his red and blue tickets from the deck, tossing them at Kim on his run back up the line of Pokémon beside the deck to take his position at the end of the queue.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Atzu steps up next, knowing he'll have to do well in this round in order to regain his lead. He focuses intently, successfully bursting the first two blue balloons that he aims for, but when he goes for the red he misses. A little disappointed to have only gained ten points this round, he retrieves his two blue tickets before making his way over to Jess and then back to the end of the line.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 11MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!
Phoenix returns to the stage. There are four green balloons left, and he has three shots at them. With any luck he'll be able to take three of these babies out, but he's so nervous at the prospect of possibly missing, that it affects his judgement as he lets loose with his attacks. All three miss their mark, and if he had hands with which to facepalm, then he would. He sighs dejectedly, hopping off the stage, disappointed in knowing that the chances of him having another shot at a green balloon are extremely slim. Returning to the end of the queue, he watches intently while the next Pokémon moves up onto the deck.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 5MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!
Kain may have gotten off to a slow start today but he's certainly made up for it in recent rounds, so he takes to the stage knowing that he has a pretty good chance of adding to his tally. He's soon discouraged, however, when his first two attacks miss two of the lowest scoring balloons on deck, and so concentrates harder when aiming for the third. His attack hits, scoring him a five point blue ticket to add to his collection. Stepping down, he's disappointed that he didn't do better this round, but the excited cheers coming from the crowd help him to feel much better as he can see that he's being offered a lot of support.

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
Eevee bounds up onto the stage, eager for her turn to begin. She starts off with a direct hit upon a red balloon which immediately nets her a ten point ticket. She aims next for one of the four remaining green balloons, but misses, before turning her attention to the dwindling row of blue balloons at the bottom. Her Swift attack tears right through one, bursting it and netting her one more ticket for the round. Collecting her two colourful tokens, Eevee races them over to Catherine before making her way back to the end of the line.

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!
It's Qwilfish's turn again, and he's looking decidedly ill as the takes the stage. His instructions are to only attack the red balloons, so he focuses upon one of them, albeit a little groggily. His Pin Missile sails right past it, his following attack sailing right by on the opposite side of the balloon. Gurgling his diapproval, he stares the balloon down, unleashing another Pin Missile attack that tears through the annoying red balloon and bursts it. He retrieves his ticket, taking it to his trainer before returning to the end of the queue.

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 9HIT!
Tropius is relieved to find that he is getting at least one more opportunity to try for a green balloon and is determined to make the most of it. Unfortunately those Pidgey are proving to be a right royal pain in the backside and are solely responsible for him missing his first two shots. Realistically, he knows the probability of this last shot being his final chance at a green is quite high and so he stops for a moment to take a deep breath and calm his nerves. One last shot. Unleashing his attack he watches, thrilled to bits when the green balloon bursts. That's another fifteen points added to his final tally, but just how much longer can this game last? Judging from the number of balloons left in play, he's guessing not very long.

Arnold & Glalie: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!
Glalie is quite downcast after performing so abysmally in the last round. She'd lost her lead and knows that if she can't pull out the numbers in this round then she's unlikely to get back into the top three, let alone back to the top of the score board. Feeling quite frazzled, she unfortunately allows her negative thinking to distract her just enough to miss not only her first shot, but her second and third shots as well. For two consecutive rounds she's struck no balloons at all, and this knowledge makes her feel a little guilty. Not even looking at Arnold, Glalie leaves the stage and returns to the end of the queue, promising herself she'll make up for her current failure during the next round.

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!
Kumori moves up, secretly pleased that so many Pokémon have been missing because this is making it easier for him to cement his first place position on the score board. Rapture's success this round is a little concerning though, for Kumori realises that all three of his shots will need to hit in order for him to regain his lead, and that two must hit in order to equal Rapture's current score. Trying not to think too much about it for fear that it will distract him, it turns out it's a little too late for that as he's already far too nervous about missing. As a result he misses his first two shots, but takes a moment to ensure he aims properly for his third, and watches while his Powder Snow bursts the red balloon he'd aimed for. Collecting his red ticket, he takes it over to Kami before returning to the end of the line as the game moves into the next round.

As round seventeen comes to a close we once again find that the tables have turned. It seems that each round is changing the leader board so that a different Pokémon is sitting at the top. Most of the Pokémon playing the game realise by now that they have no real chance of winning, but those who are at the top of the score board are the ones who seem to be taking the remainder of this game the most seriously. To be tasting victory only to have it pulled right out from under them isn't a pleasant feeling, so all except for Rapture are hoping that the next round will once again turn the tables and change the positions of those at the top of the leader board.

Round 18

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 4MISS!
There are three green balloons left on deck, and Rapture has three shots this round. If the little ghost type could sweat, he'd be soaking up the stage right now. This is his final chance, and he knows it, for if he doesn't take out these green balloons, another Pokémon will. He's so nervous that he starts sparking up a storm, and while excited cries and words of encouragement are coming from both his trainer as well as the festival spectators, the little electric/ghost type focuses all of his attention on one of the remaining three green balloons. He takes careful aim and fires off his Dragonbreath, but unfortunately the gusting Pidgey are making it a little too hard to hit. He misses, before refocusing and trying again. His second shot misses, as does his third, and with the round over he looks up the three balloons dejectedly, wishing he could have scored at least one of them. Turning around, he makes his way back to the end of the queue knowing that he could very well just have cost Stacey their current lead.

Alto & Charizard: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 1MISS!
Inferno steps up next, not at all upset by the fact Rapture had just missed all three of its shots, because that means there's still a green balloon waiting there with his name on it. He takes his time though, working his way up the tiers. Starting with a blue balloon, he unleashes his Flamethrower, engulfing the balloon in the fiery stream of flames and releasing the ticket inside. Roaring his approval as the crowd cheers him on, Inferno focuses next on a red balloon, snorting his disgust when his Flamethrower streaks right past it. The green balloon is the prize though, for it's worth the most points on the stage, so he takes careful aim before blasting off another fiery attack. The gusting Pidgey are making matter difficult, however, and the balloon flutters to the side allowing Inferno's attack to streak harmlessly by. Disappointed that he'd only managed to score a measly five points this round, Inferno collects his blue ticket and hands it to Alto on his way back to the end of the queue.

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 4HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Gible, more hyped up with each passing round, is totally enjoying the festive atmosphere surrounding this game. By now he knows that he's not going to come close to winning one of the major prizes, but he doesn't seem to mind in the least. He dances his way onto the stage, totally playing to the crowd, before turning his attention to the balloons bobbing in the breeze. He fires off his first Ice Beam straight for one of the blue balloons and dances a little happy dance when it bursts and releases the ticket inside. Spurred on by his success, as well as the raucous cheering from the crowd, he aims for another blue balloon, once again bursting it and gaining himself an additional five point blue ticket. Aiming next for a red balloon, he grins widely when his Ice Beam sails straight past it, not at all disappointed to have missed. This little dragon is having the time of his life, so hit or miss, it doesn't really matter. Collecting his two blue tickets, he races them over to Kim before running back to the end of the queue, eagerly awaiting round nineteen so that he can have another turn.

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 1MISS!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!
Atzu steps up next hoping he'll be able to help get himself and Jess back into the lead. His nerves are showing, for his first attack fails to hit one of the blue balloons. Hearing the cheers and encouragement coming from both his trainer and the spectators, Atzu renews his focus upon the balloon he'd just missed, and tries again. This time his Bubblebeam bursts the balloon giving him a five point blue ticket for his efforts. Focusing next upon a red balloon, he watches it carefully for a few moments before letting loose with his attack, jumping for joy when the balloon bursts to reveal a ten point red ticket. Though he's not sur these fifteen points are enough to help them regain their previous lead, Atzu is thankful that he'd managed to hit two of his targets, particularly the red.

Tyranidos & Torchic: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 2MISS!
Phoenix hops onto the stage. There are three green balloons left in play, and he has three shots available to him. If he can take out these balloons he'll be a very happy little chookie, but after having missed all three of his shots last round, Phoenix isn't feeling very confident. His trainer and the crowd are cheering him on which helps to make him feel a little better considering he has so much support behind him. Focusing upon one of the bobbing green balloons, he unleashes an Ember, but he's so nervous that he doesn't get quite the right angle on his attack which allow the gusting Pidgey to blow his Embers away in the wind. His little eyes fill with worry, but he refocuses upon the balloon, firing off another Ember attack which also misses. With three balloons still on the deck and only one attack left, Phoenix's little legs buckle just as he lets loose with his final attack. It misses, leaving the poor little Torchic with no points for his efforts this round.

Jonouchi & Mawile: Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 3HIT!Blue (5 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 5-sided die: 2HIT!
Kain steps up next. While everyone else seems to be focusing upon the three remaining green balloons, he instead focuses upon the three remaining blue balloons. They may not be worth as many points, but they're far easier to hit, and at this point of the game Kain feels that points are very important to have. He wastes no time in taking out all three blues, grinning broadly at his trainer as the last one disappears from play leaving only eleven red and three greens in play. Collecting his fifteen points worth of blue tickets, Kain leaves the stage, hoping he'll have a chance to collect a few more points during the next round.

Points this round: 15Total Points: 155Balloons Left: 11 Red; 3 Green

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 10HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!
Eevee races onto the stage, completely enjoying herself as round eighteen moves into its second half. Eevee's instructions were clear; aim for the balloons in a pattern from lowest to highest, and with all of the blue balloons now out of play that only leaves red and green. Since blue is the last colour she'd aimed for in the previous round, her eyes dart straight toward one of the bobbing red balloons. Releasing her Swift attack, the little energy starts whoosh straight around her target, completely missing it. Turning her head toward a green balloon next, she once again fires off her attack, yipping happily when it bursts and releases a fifteen point green ticket. Aiming for another red, her attack misses, but she's far from disappointed as she'd managed to hit one of the last remaining high scoring balloons. Taking her ticket over to Catherine, Eevee darts back to the end of the queue hoping that the last balloon isn't burst before she has an opportunity to have another turn.

Points this round: 15Total Points: 235Balloons Left: 11 Red; 2 Green

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!
Qwilfish returns to the stage, his Pin Missile immediately taking out a red balloon. He's thankful this game is just about over, but that doesn't mean he's going to stop trying to rack up as many points as possible. Unfortunately he's feeling just too ill now to really give it his all and his next two attacks miss their marks. Leaving the stage with his single red ticket, he takes consolation in the fact that he'd at least hit one of the balloons, as hitting none at all is rather embarrassing, particularly in front of so many people and Pokémon.

Points this round: 10Total Points: 170Balloons Left: 10 Red; 2 Green

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 8HIT!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!
Tropius steps up, his instructions clear in his mind. Always go for the highest scoring balloons in play, so that's exactly what he does. If he should manage to take out both greens, he'll aim for a red balloon next, but unfortunately that's not something he needs to concern himself with at the moment as he only succeeds in bursting one of the two remaining green balloons. Retrieving his fifteen point ticket, Tropius returns to the end of the queue, one hundred percent certain that he'll not have another chance at scoring another green ticket considering there's only one green balloon left in the game with several different Pokémon instructed to go for it.

Points this round: 15Total Points: 200Balloons Left: 10 Red; 1 Green

Arnold & Glalie: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 3MISS!
Glalie is next, but despite the fact she's receiving an overwhelming amount of support from both her trainer and the cheering crowd, she's plagued with memories of her abysmal performance during the last two rounds. She'd felt so proud after gaining a lead in the game only to be completely crushed by bad luck in the following rounds. These thoughts are with her while she aims for a red balloon, and even though she strikes it and receives a ten point ticket for bursting the balloon, her successful hit doesn't make her feel much better at all. As a result she misses her next two shots, leaving her with only a ten point advantage this round. Glalie sighs heavily, collecting her ticket and taking it over to Arnold before making her way to the end of the queue.

Points this round: 10Total Points: 270Balloons Left: 9 Red; 1 Green

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Kumori returns to the stage. He'd done well to get back into the game after being surpassed on the score board by other Pokémon, but then to lose that lead yet again due to some bad luck was a crushing experience. Although he has everything in the world to feel proud of, especially considering the fact he'd burst the prized golden balloon, he feels a little guilty for having failed his trainer. Dwelling on these thoughts are affecting his accuracy, however, and he ends up missing all three of his shots at the red balloons. Sighing, Kumori leaves the stage, making his way back to the end of the queue and wondering if he'll even have another chance to play considering there are only ten balloons left on stage.

Rapture and Atzu are currently in the lead, each sharing first place, while Kumori and Glalie are hot on their heels in respective second and third positions on the score board. This game has been so bizarrely unpredictable that it's hard to tell just who will take the final lead. With only ten balloons left in play everyone is sure this will be their last chance to rack up the points and make their final scores count. Excitement is in the air, trainers are encouraging their Pokémon, the crowd is cheering them all on, and in some cases nerves are rather frazzled. With the game now moving into round nineteen, the race for first place is on.

Round 19

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 5MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 12MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 14MISS!
It's Rapture's turn again, and in order to secure his lead he's going to have to ensure he strikes the green balloon and at least one red. He aims for the lone green balloon flitting about in the air, but misses which causes him to worry a little. Taking aim again, he sends his attack hurtling for the green balloon, but once again misses. Fretting now because he's fearing he'll lose his lead if he doesn't strike the balloon this time, he fires off his attack a little too prematurely and watches helplessly as it sails past its target. Leaving the stage and hoping he hasn't lost his lead for his trainer, Rapture returns to the end of the queue, doubtful he'll have another shot at this game considering there are so few balloons left in play.

Points this round: 0Total Points: 290Balloons Left: 9 Red; 1 Green

Alto & Charizard: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 13MISS!
Inferno steps up next, hoping for all he's worth that he'll strike not just one, but all three targets in what looks to be the final round of the game. He takes aim at a red balloon, unleashing a Flamethrower, but missing. Snorting, he aims again, a little more carefully this time, but misses again thanks to those pesky Pidgey. Aiming this time for the last green balloon on deck, he blasts out a stream of fire only to miss his third consecutive shot. Stepping down, he briefly considers returning to his trainer rather than the queue, but since this round has started off on a disastrous note for both himself and Rapture then it may just be possible that this game could end up proceeding into round twenty if the remaining Pokémon's luck is anywhere near as bad as theirs.

Points this round: 0Total Points: 145Balloons Left: 9 Red; 1 Green

Aquatic Angel & Gible: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Green (15 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 15-sided die: 6HIT!
Gible leaps up onto the stage, his excitement at just about maximum point. With there being no blue balloons left in play he recalls his trainers instructions to always go for two of the lowest tier of balloons on the stage as well as one of the next highest. So rather than going for blue, blue, red this round, Gible needs to focus upon red, red, and green. He doesn't really care which balloons he goes for, he just loves the sound of them bursting. The cheers from the crowd are making him even more excited, and the fact that this game is unlikely to extend into another round promts him to really concentrate upon what he's doing. Unfortunately he misses his first two shots at the red balloons, so he turns his attention to the one remaining green balloon on the stage. He hasn't had a chance to go for this colour yet as he's been following orders to aim for the lower tiers, so he becomes ultra excited at the prospect of gaining himself a pretty little ticket of a different colour. For the first time during this game Gible really concentrates upon what he's doing, taking a few moments to watch the movement of the balloon as it gusts about in the breeze. Finally letting loose with his Ice Beam, Gible's jaw drops wide open when he watches it smack the balloon and burst with a loud BANG, releasing the ticket inside. With a war like, excited cry, the little dragon races over and picks up his ticket, running over to Kim and shoving it in her face so she's able to see it's a different colour than the others he's collected so far. Running back to the end of the queue, Gible watches the next Pokémon step up on stage, wondering if there's any chance at all of him getting another chance to play this very exciting game.

Points this round: 15Total Points: 185Balloons Left: 9 Red

lilbluecorsola & Azumarill: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Atzu takes the stage next. He'd watched with interest while Rapture missed all three of his shots this round, silently thankful for this small mercy as it means that he only needs to hit one balloon in order to secure his first place lead. Kumori and Glalie are still serious threats though, so in order to cement his win Atzu is going to need to make three successful shots. He's sweating a little, really wanting to secure first position for Jess, but not sure if he'll be able to do it. Missing his first and second shots don't do a great deal for his confidence, but he does manage to burst one of the remaining red balloons with his third and final shot. Collecting his red ticket, he hopes it's enough to secure a win for his trainer.

Points this round: 10Total Points: 300Balloons Left: 8 Red

Tyranidos & Torchic:
Rather than stepping up to the stage, Phoenix looks sadly at the red balloons swaying about on the deck. Tyrant had only instructed him to go for the green ones so he doesn't want to disobey his trainer's orders. Taryn looks down at him while the crowd releases a loud, collective, "Awwwwwww," and smiles cheerfully.

"Would you like to go for a red balloon, Torchic?" Taryn asks, but Phoenix just looks at the red balloons while the words of his trainer play through his mind. "Let's go Phoenix! Use Ember to strike the green balloons!"

Phoenix shakes his head sadly in response to Taryn's question and returns to his trainer's side, sitting down to watch the remaining Pokémon finish the game.

Points this round: 0Total Points: 240Balloons Left: 8 Red

Jonouchi & Mawile: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 8MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Kain steps up onto the deck, feeling a little sorry for Phoenix for not being able to continue playing. With all of the blue balloons out of the picture he follows Ricco's instructions and goes for the next highest tier. He's glad Ricco had thought to mention an alternative plan or he may also have had to sit out the remainder of the game and that's not something he wants to do, especially now that he's finally able to go for a balloon worth more than five points. A little too eager to finally be going for a red balloon, Kain is too quick to attack and as a result misses all three shots. Cursing himself for not being more careful, he returns to the end of the queue, not convinced he'll have another shot at them but hoping that he will.

Points this round: 0Total Points: 155Balloons Left: 8 Red

Zami & Eevee: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 5HIT!
Eevee is next to play, fairly certain that this will be her final round. She's a little sad about the fact the game is coming to a close so she takes her time and concentrates on what she's doing. One after another she pops three of the remaining eight red balloons; BANG! BANG! BANG! Howling her approval, she collects her tickets and races off the stage, extremely excited to have won herself thirty points in the closing round.

Points this round: 30Total Points: 265Balloons Left: 5 Red

Missingno. Master & Qwilfish: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!
It seems Qwilfish has finally had enough. While he doesn't dislike the game, he certainly dislikes the fact it's not a water game, and he's utterly parched, feeling very weak and very ill. His half hearted attempts to hit one of the remaining five balloons get him nowhere, and so he flops back down from the stage praying for the Goddess of Water to come to his rescue.

Points this round: 0Total Points: 170Balloons Left: 5 Red

ZoraJolteon & Tropius: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 9MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 6HIT!
Tropius steps up next feeling bad for Qwilfish yet at the same time relieved it hadn't taken out any of the balloons as that means he's in with a better chance of hitting them. With only five balloons left in play Tropius has absolutely no doubt in his mind that this will be his last chance to rack up his point tally. With the red balloons supposedly far easier to hit than the green ones, Tropius doesn't quite take the care necessary to ensure his accuracy and ends up missing his first two shots. Stomping his front right foot in frustration, he takes careful aim with his third and final shot, pleased when the red balloon bursts and rewards him with a ten point ticket. Retrieving his prize, he doesn't even bother heading to the end of the queue, instead returning to Zora's side to watch the rest of the game unfold.

Points this round: 10Total Points: 210Balloons Left: 4 Red

Arnold & Glalie: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 10MISS!
Glalie takes the stage, under no illusions regarding the fact that this will most definitely be her final turn unless every single other Pokémon in the game suddenly finds themselves missing every single shot. She fires off her Ice Beam, shattered when it sails straight past its target. Refocusing upon the same balloon, Glalie tries again, but is once again disappointed to see her attack miss. Hoping for better luck with her very last shot of the game, Glalie unleashes a third Ice Beam, upset to see she's wasted another round by hitting absolutely no balloons whatsoever. Making her way off stage, Glalie sits at the bottom of it rather than returning to the end of the queue. She's hoping the remaining Pokémon will have some bad luck so that she can try again, but she's not counting on it.

Points this round: 0Total Points: 270Balloons Left: 4 Red

Rabid Squirrel & Castform: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 3MISS!
Kumori moves up onto the stage. She has three shots, and there are four balloons left. Even if she manages to take out three of them, this game will still move over into round twenty. The sun is moving higher in the sky, so he knows that the Hero's Parade will be starting shortly and he really wants to see it. Aiming very carefully, Kumori wants to ensure that nobody else has a chance to get as many balloons as him and wants to take out three if possible. His first two attacks hit their mark, releasing two ten point red ticket, but his third sails straight past leaving two red balloons sitting on the stage as the game moves into round twenty.

As round nineteen ends, Atzu and Kumori are sharing the lead while Rapture and Glalie are taking respective second and third place on the score board. There are two balloons left on the deck which could very well change the winning positions should rapture be lucky enough to strike them both. The crowd is cheering so loudly that the Pokémon can barely hear themselves think. Whatever happens next, these two remaining red balloons will definitely be the deciding factor, so it remains to be seen just who will end up the winner of this game.

Round 20

Arc_Angel & Rotom: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 2MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 1MISS!
Rapture moves back onto the stage feeling quite nervous, yet at the same time very excited. Hit or miss, he knows he'll place in the top three, but his accuracy in this deciding round will determine just where he'll end up on the score board. One hit and he'll share first place with Atzu and Kumori, two hits and he'll steal first place all for himself. No hits at all and he'll place second. No matter which way he looks at it, he's won, which helps put his mind to rest. Not quite as nervous now that he's thought it through, Rapture isn't quite as careful as he perhaps should be, and ends up missing all three of his attempts at the remaining two red balloons. A little disappointed that he hadn't tried harder, Rapture makes his way off the stage and returns to his trainers side.

Points this round: 0Total Points: 290Balloons Left: 2 Red

Alto & Charizard: Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 7HIT!Red (10 points)OnlineHost: Fiery Tess rolled 1 10-sided die: 4HIT!
Inferno steps up, pleased to be having one final chance when he thought he wouldn't. He watches the first balloon very carefully before unleashing his Flamethrower, the attack engulfing and bursting its target. He roars loudly as the crowd goes wild, excited spectators dying to see whether or not Inferno can take this game out on his own, or whether the excitable little Gible will have another chance to play. Inferno is determined however, and releases a second blast of his fiery breath that strikes its target and gives him the final ten points of the game. Collecting his two tickets, worth a collective twenty points to add to overall total, Inferno turns to face the crowd with a victorious roar.

"Congratulations!" Taryn cries as all of the exhausted Pidgey come in to perch on the rails surrounding the stage. Her excited gaze then scans across all of the participating trainers and Pokémon. "You've all done exceptionally well in today's game, and I'd like to thank each and every one of you for taking part."

Reaching down, Taryn lifts up a small knapsack that had been sitting beside the stage before removing a coin pouch and a small pale blue envelope. Turning to Jess and Kami, Taryn motions for them both to move up onto the stage with their respective Pokémon so that she can hand over their rewards.

"You'll each receive these ten thousand coins and Trading Card Palace Pass. The pass entitles the you to claim one free TCG Booster Pack 4 of your choice from the Trading Card Palace which will contain a guaranteed holographic card."

After handing over the prizes, Taryn looks adoringly at Rapture before calling both he and Stacey up to the stage. Reaching into her knapsack, Taryn removes another coin pouch as well as a small heart shaped object. Smiling at Stacey, she hands over the prizes.

"For placing second you'll receive five thousand coins and this beautiful Heart Scale. This scale was found in a special area of Seaside City where Luvdisc were once quite commonly found. These days they're very rare to find, so I hope you like it."

Once again congratulating both trainer and Pokémon individually, Taryn then turns toward Arnold and Glalie, motioning for them to come forward while she reaches into her knapsack to remove yet another coin pouch as well as several specially designed custom Pokéballs.

"For placing third, you'll receive these two thousand coins and one specially designed custom Pokéball of your choice. There's one to suit each type of Pokémon, from a Leaf Ball to a Steel Ball. The choice is yours."

After waiting for Arnold to make his choice, Taryn stands with all four winners lined up on stage, smiling at the crowd before reaching into her sack to remove several more coin pouches and a handful of tasty treats before handing them to all of the trainers who took part in the game.

"Our runners up will all receive these one thousand coins and one rare candy to do with as you please."

Taryn then removes three more items that appear to be very rare Pokéballs. Looking into the faces of the trainers, her gaze stops when it reaches Ricco and Kain. "Please come forward," she asks with a smile before turning to Kim and Gible. "And if you wouldn't mind coming forward as well." After waiting for them to follow her up onto the stage, Taryn smiles broadly.

"One prize not mentioned at the beginning of the game is the one that is awarded to the Pokémon who have hit the most balloons. Though you may not have received the highest score, you did hit more balloons than anyone else, and for that we feel that you deserve a special prize." Handing both Ricco and Kim a red Pokéball, Taryn continues to explain. "These Cherish Balls work in the same way as a Pokéball, but are extremely rare items to obtain. Please enjoy them, and be sure to enjoy the remainder of your day here at the Hero's Festival."

Turning to all of the trainers lined up on stage, Taryn's eyes stop on Kami.

"I'll bet you thought I'd forgotten, didn't you?" she asks with a cheeky smile. The third Pokéball she's holding is something never before seen in Fizzy Bubbles by any trainer. "For bursting the golden balloon you receive a very special prize. This Hero's Ball was specially designed to commemorate Connor's memory and can only ever be used to house the direct descendant of one of Connor's own Pokémon," Taryn says, handing the ball over. She stops speaking for a moment, waiting for the meaning behind her words to sink in. "That's right, later today you will receive the non-legendary baby form of one of Connor's own team. These babies are very special and will need a trainer who can love and raise them with the same strong values and sense of courage as Connor would have himself instilled in them. At the end of the day your baby Pokémon will be brought into the festival as it needs to be transported from a secret location known only by Connor's close friends and family. Simply hand in your golden ticket at the Charity Booth and the Pokémon will be given to you."

Turning back to the crowd, Taryn beams brightly. "The Hero's Parade will be starting soon, but don't forget to stop by the raffle to see if you're the lucky winner of today's Legendary Raffle. I hope you've all enjoyed yourselves, and please be sure to stop by again later today where we'll have a brand new game set up for you!"

Prize Summary
All Pokémon who participated will gain 2 levels, or if already Lv.100 will receive a Double Move Tutor Pass to be used on them.

Note: The dice will be rolled for each of you in the order that you originally replied. Each die is 10 sided and represents 10 metres of track (i.e 1 =1 metre ran, 2 = 2 metres ran etc…)
Note 2: Not all the electric Pokemon part of the race learn Thundershock naturally, but for this race they are able to use it.

Billy-May sits behind her small wooden booth bubbling with joy and excitement at the turnout for her race. As each of you approach she greets you with a warm smile and registers you and your Pokemon on an official form. She coos over some of the cute Pokemon especially the adorable Togepi and Skitty and can’t help but get a little hyper at the sight of all the electric Pokemon signing up; she’s obviously an enthusiast. Once you are all signed up she leaves her booth and motions for you to follow her to the start line.

“Okay if each of your entry Pokemon can line up along this start line then we can get ready to rock this race,” she said giggling. You each bid your Pokemon good luck as you leave them to move over to the spectator area, there were many different Pokemon racing today and several were evolutions of another. In this game of speed and skill with the range of Pokemon racing, it was anybodies game who would win but you all hoped it would be your own. Chinchou, Houndour, Electivire, Skitty, Luxray, Houndoom, Togepi, Luxray, Pachirisu, Manectric, Electrike and Houndour all moved into their appointed lanes at the start line briefly eying up the competition before focusing on the stretch of track before them. The Magnemite all moved into positions covering the track and switched on their cameras. The large plasma screen at the far end of the stadium buzzed into life and displayed a picture of the start line with your pokemon all ready for the off. Billy-May held up a small gun and grinned.

“Racers Ready?” she asked already knowing the answers. “On your marks … get set … GO!” she yelled firing the gun that let off a loud bang. The race had started …

As the starting gun fires all the pokemon leap into action, well all but one. Helen who had been ordered to fire off a Smog at the beginning of the race does so. Standing still she breathes out the noxious gases which, as she is at the far right side of the track, only manage to fill the air surrounding the next 3 Pokemon to her. Kiba chokes on the poisonous gases and has to stand still trying to clear his lungs. Manectric manages to push his way forward a small way but still coughs on the Smog filling his lungs. Little Perry manages to fight her way through a few metres whilst holding her paws over her face, eyes streaming from the attack. Tempest seems intent on running from her spot and ripping apart her kin for what she did to her team-mate but is held back by officials and her trainer. Togepi having been distracted by the ruckus to his right only stumbles forward 1 metre, Roxas following suit a little disheartened by his bad start. Montag has a little more luck and runs forward a good 3 metres but is shocked to see that Ion has waddled a metre ahead. Skitty pounces forward ignoring the commotion and focusing on the race clearing the first 5 metres almost squeaking in surprise as the much large Zapster pushes past him to rest at 6 metres, quite happy with the start he had. Houndour and Luxray however had gotten off to a flying start rushing off the line to clear 10 metres easily. Luxray eyes up Houndour noticing that he was level with her and grins wickedly, powering up a Spark to secure her a lead before she hears a cough to her right. Looking over her shoulder she spots a Pikachu grinning cheekily between the gaps of the track. It rubs its paws together and with a loud ‘CHU’ sends a Thundershock her way hitting Luxray who gasps in shock and shuddering from the effects. Houndour barks loudly in laughter at her plight before he hears sparks to his left. Daring to peek over his shoulder to see an identically Pikachu pointing a paw at him. He gives a soft sigh before he too is struck with a Thundershock, the electricity coursing over his black fur.

Despite the Thundershock he had just received Houndour pushes through the electricity locking his joints and muscles managing to clear even more track. Luxray however wasn’t so fortunate and only managed to hobble 4 metres further forward, that shock had really rattled her. Zapster being the speedy Electivire he was powered through more track passing the cheeky Pikachu in his wake. Thoroughly pleased with himself imagine his surprise when a small Chinchou bounces past him to lie 1 metre ahead. Ion looks behind her a little fearful of the large electric pokemon but is glad to be doing so well so soon. Montag a little unhappy that Ion had pushed forth so far charged forward managing to cover quite a bit of track and moving up the ranks. With Stephen and Umbreon cheering him on Manetric runs forward 6 metres with Skitty bounding up to lie 1 metre behind. Togepi, forgetting the previous distraction and with encouragement of his trainer toddles forward a short way. Perry had fought her way out of the Smog cloud and after a coughing fit scrambles to the 5 metre mark. Roxas focusing back on the race only manages to run forward another 3 metres feeling a little dejected at how poorly he had started. Kiba looks ahead to see most of the other pokemon before him and makes it to the 3 metre mark, Helen meeting him there. He gives her a harsh look for causing his slow start … and his burning lungs.

The race progresses on and Zapster seems to be on a role today, thundering past Ion and Houndour, who unfortunately was overcome with paralysis and was unable to move, taking first place. Ion though being the determined little thing that she is waddles forward with great pace covering a large amount of track to rest just behind Zapster, almost a little thankful to not feel his bulking presence behind her. Despite the unnatural electricity hindering her movements Luxray manages to rush forward passing Houndour, giving him a little smirk as she does to rest next to Ion. Montag keeps up a good pace and trots into 5th place at the 18 metre mark, casting a look over to the poor kin next to him. Skitty finding more energy inside him bolts forward covering another 8 metres and Perry finding her determination pushing her through runs in to meet him. Togepi cutely toddled forward keeping in time with Perry leaving 3 Pokemon at the 14 metre mark. Kiba hearing his trainer cheering for him digs his paws deep into the grass and bounds forward with amazing speed managing to cover a whole 10 metres now resting at the 13 metre mark. Manetric falters a little this time and falls behind the other Pokemon only clearing 5 metres. Poor Roxas though, he was really having a hard time with all these pokemon rushing past him, he only manages to stumble 4 metres forward and growls with frustration. His mood isn’t any better when he spots Helen running for all she’s worth to hit the 10 metre mark but smiles when he knows what that means. Helen sees the Pikachu right next to her sparking up its cheeks, really glad to get in another shot before all the Pokemon passed it. Helen looked nervous and yelps as she is struck with the Thundershock. The other Pokemon ahead can’t help but think its a little vengeance exacted for the Smog attack earlier.

The Magnemite follow all the Pokemon’s movements as they round a corner of the race. Zapster is unstoppable today and charges forward for all his worth clearing another 8 metres. He wasn’t alone though as Ion despite being better suited for water based events was showing her true colours and waddling for all she was worth meeting Zapster at the 30 metre mark. Although being joint first, where they were standing wasn’t a good place to be. Zapster is first to notice the much smaller Mareep to his right, quite a way away. What harm could that little Pokemon do? With a loud defiant bleat the Mareep let’s loose a strong Thundershock that arcs across the track hitting Zapster making him regret that train of thought. Ion worriedly spots the identical Mareep right next to her and braces herself for a shock, receiving one after a moments pause. With the effects of the Thundershock having worn off for Houndour and Luxray they shoot off down the track. As Luxray spots Houndour passing her she lets loose a Spark that makes him yelp and fall at the 26 metre mark, equal with the feisty Luxray. Hearing her team-mates cheering for her Perry speeds down the track covering a whole 10 metres and was now resting in 5th place. Skitty not wanting to be left too far behind bounds forward now only resting just behind Perry. Manectric seeing all these Pokemon moving out of sight range sparks up and bolts forward passing several other Pokemon his wake. Montag stumbles forward as Manactric barges past and only covers 2 metres falling behind now. When he looks up he notices where he’s stopped and whines in annoyance. A perky Electrike barks happily at him from between the tracks before it let’s loose a Thundershock leaving Montag quivering on the ground rather miserable. Togepi seems to be enjoying himself and was toddling along as his own pace happy to have missed being shocked. Kiba manages to catch up to the egg pokemon and winces when he sees his kin unleash its electric attack. This race was more dangerous than it first seemed, sparks were flying everywhere! Helen moans in pain as paralysis takes hold of her and she finds herself stuck at the 10 metre mark. She looks sorrowfully at the Pikachu next to her but it shakes its head, it wasn’t going to shock her further. Roxas manages to makes his way past Helen to rest at the 12 metre mark, it just wasn’t his day so far but at least he wasn’t last anymore!

After the pair of Thundershocks Zapster and Ion received they’re finding it a lot harder to run. Ion manages to hobble forward 5 metres but Zapster can only stumble forward a step or two. Houndour glares at Luxray for attacking him but get to his feet and with surprising speed bolts forward undeterred passing the Electivire and Chinchou to take the lead. Luxray a little startled at first before focusing manages to clear 6 metres moving up a place pleasing her greatly. Kiba wanting to make up for lost time finds his feet and rushes forward covering great ground and stops at the 28 metre mark now further up the ranks. Manectric running for all he’s worth lands at the same mark. Perry darts forward a little way to stand next to the Electrike and Manectric hoping to run a little farther next time. Skitty seems to be having problems though and trips on a tuff of grass at his feet falling only 2 metres further forward. Montag shakes off the shock he just receives and walks through ignoring the stinging sensation to stop along side Skitty. Roxas rushes through with renewed vigor hoping to catch up to the others but just can’t catch up to Togepi who keeps up his nice easy pace. Roxas grins happy to have cleared more ground before he roars in shock, electricity coursing through his body. He turns an angry glare to the Electrike to his right, the puppy Pokemon wagging its tail happily at its accomplishment. Helen attempts to move once again only to find that paralysis is still holding her tight. The Pikachu either side are on their backs laughing at her plight, naughty little rascals.

Wanting to keep his lead, and managing to do so Houndour trots forward just past the next pair of electric pokemon who pout in disappointment at not getting a shot in. Ion with the effects starting to wear off waddles forward to just before the 40 metre mark thanking her lucky stars she didn’t get shocked again. The surprising newcomer however was Kiba who had fought his way from the bottom and speeds past most of the other pokemon once more to take 3rd place panting from the exertion but thoroughly pleased. Zapster flexes his fingers trying to rid the sensation of pins and needles and manages to clear another 5 metres, Luxray stumbling a little to stand next to him, not at all intimidated by his size. With a single look at each other of how far Kiba had ran from them Perry and Manectric dart forward keeping in time with one another to sit on the 36 metre mark with the two other pokemon. This race sure was close! A little embarrassed by his fall earlier Skitty flushes red and with a loud mewl zips forward with amazing speed covering a whole 10 metres now only 1 metre behind the other 4 pokemon and 6 behind the lead. Montag tries to match that speed but only manages to clumsily move another 4 metres forward. Roxas thoroughly annoyed by how bad his luck was so far gives out a defiant roar and runs quite fast, if not a little clumsily 7 metres forward. Togepi seems to be slowly but surely making his way forward but something must have distracted him because he falls at the 25 metre mark. He sits back up looking a little saddened by the lack of movement this round. Helen a little dejected to be sitting in last place runs forward hitting the 16 metre mark, eager to catch up to everyone.

Despite the setback earlier in the race you wouldn’t know it now as Houndour runs a good 6 metres forward keeping his lead. Ion not being too far behind starts her next go but stumbles; it was only a matter of time, and falls at the 40 metre mark. Zapster runs forward before stopping next to the small Chinchou … somehow this seemed familiar. Dare he look to his right? Doing so he spotted a Plusle, it was even smaller than the Mareep but he remembered what happened last time. Bracing himself he received his second shock of the race, this one stinging more than last time. It dawned on Ion after seeing Zapster get Thundershocked what was coming for her. Peeking to her left a bouncy little Plusle waved and sent its own shock at the Chinchou making her cry out. At least they were sharing their pain together. Kiba just keeps on coming, powering through the race now passing the two downed pokemon and rests just behind Houndour. He barks happily to be in second place, Katsu must be proud. Luxray, matching the young Electrike’s speed, runs past the two Plusle and stops just slightly behind, quite glad to have moved up places, that and to have not gotten shocked again. Feeling Jeff and Buneary cheering for him, Skitty continues well clearing 6 metres and moving into 4th place. He looks over his shoulder to the two slightly smoking electric pokemon, thankful that he hadn’t received a shock yet. Perry taking her focus off the race to watch the two pokemon before her get fried only manages to toddle forward 2 metres, Manectric even more distracted falls in behind her. Now free of paralysis Montag darts forward hoping to make up time and finds himself next to Manectric. Togepi a little embarrassed by the last leg and feeling Ivy and Glacia cheering for him toddles forward quite quickly on small legs just passing a pair of Mareep. Roxas was trying his best but the paralysis was kicking in now and he scrapes forward two metres before having to stop. Helen is way back and miles away from the lead but is more than determined to catch up and rushes forward clearing 8 metres.

Houndour spots the Raikou statue only a few metres ahead and moves to run to the far end panal but trips on the grass and stumbles. Fortunately he comes to a stop right where he intended grinning at his luck. Luxray feeling more energised than ever zips forward passing Kiba in her wake and takes her place at the second absorbing panel, casting a little smirk over to Houndour. Kiba not to be deterred by the feisty Luxray trots forward 5 metres to stop in front of the last absorbing panel, admiring the large and elegant Raikou Statue before him. Skitty seems to be having trouble coordinating his limbs as he stumbles forward again and mewls in annoyance. It doesn’t help that despite the paralysis locking his body Zapster forces forward to rest 2 metres ahead. Both look back in shock though when they hear a howl and see a black blur rush past them to stop 3 metres ahead. Montag grins and waves his long forked tail at the pair having zipped right up to meet the leaders. Ion tries with all her might but shudders in pain and gives up, unable to move from the spot. Maybe she was caught by the plight of the cute little Chinchou but Perry stops level. She hears her trainer and fellow team-mates yelling in fear and turns to see a cute little Plusle waving at her. She waves back before squeaking in surprise at the Thundershock she receives … okay not cute anymore. Manectric walks forward to stand behind the poor Pachirisu and is quite thankful he didn’t move another step forward. Roxas is keeping up a medium pace and moves forward yet another 6 metres but is still a fair way behind, and that doesn’t sit well with the proud Luxray. Despite his previous good run Togepi only manages to bounce forward a little ways and looks to his right to see that Helen had rushed with all her might to meet him there.

With 3 Pokemon at the Raikou Statue now it was time to release its treasure. Houndour felt his body charge up as electricity coursed across his fur with a howl he lets loose a Thunderbolt that strikes the absorbing panel. The electricity arcs down to the chest below and the lock releases the lid springing back revealing its treasure; a Yellow Shard. Luxray follows suit and with a mighty roar unleashes her own Thunderbolt, hitting the absorbing panel and releasing her treasure, another Yellow Shard. Kiba eager to get his treasure too releases a weaker electric attack, a Thunder Wave. The circular pulses hit the panel and do the trick non-the-less and his treasure is released. All three pokemon grab the shards in the mouths ready to move off and finish the race. Montag speeds that last few metres to stop at the Raikou Statue, with 3 Pokemon already there he has to wait for them to leave so sits down. Zapster is struggling now; he finds it harder to move much farther and clears 3 metres before slumping in pain. He looks up to see Skitty bounces past him to stop a metre ahead. Skitty mewls in happiness to be catching up to the lead. Ion finding more strength deep within pushes through the pain and waddles up to meet Zapster, both of them sharing a look of mutual dissatisfaction at their situation. Despite the shock she had received Perry is determined to move on, and move on she does clearing 6 metres, panting at the extra effort needed to move that far. After his short walk last time Manectric runs forward a good way eager to move up the ranks. Roxas wanting to make up for lost time and thoroughly done with being near the back charges forward 7 metres just past the Plusle pair. Togepi manages another 5 metres and stops just before the Plusle pair, although he hadn’t been shocked yet he really wished he was doing a little better. Helen though, oh she’s feeling it right now and charges for all she’s worth once more and zips past both Togepi and Roxas … yey, she’s no long last. She wags her tail happily.

As the trainers and Billy-May all watch the race intently their attention is drawn away from their surroundings. Suddenly a pulse of energy shoots up in the distance, ripping through the sky and turning it a pretty magenta colour. The ground shakes from the aftershock and you all look around at each other little concerned, but Billy-May seems to be her usual perky self so you all focus back on the large screen and your Pokemon’s progress cheering your hearts out. It must have been nothing … fireworks or something related to the festival.

With their treasures firmly in their mouths the three leaders make their way past the Statue and on with the race. Houndour still full of energy runs forward to clear 8 metres leaving the struggling Luxray behind only making 3 metres and nearly swallowing her Yellow Shard in the process. Houndour beams proud of himself but yelps in surprise as a green and yellow blur rushes past him 1 metre. Kiba barks happily as he was now the leader. Montag now with an open panel moves himself into place. He looks around and unfortunately he was the only Pokemon there so Mimic would be useless. Sighing he powered up his dark energies and rushes forward disappearing for a moment only to reappear and tackle the panel. It glows black for a moment before returning to its normal shade. It would take another attack to free his prize. Skitty was so close now and with one last leap makes it to the Raikou Statue and take his place next to Montag. Now free from paralysis Zapster runs on hoping to make it to the panels but spots Manectric running for he was worth to beat him to it. They share a determined look as they run for the last panel.

Zapster = 1 Manectric = 2
Arc_Angel rolled 1 2-sided die: 2

With a last push of strength Manectric slips past Zapster and takes the last panel, panting hard from the effort but grins over his shoulder at the annoyed Electivire who’s forced to wait for a panel to become free. Helen continues on with her push and clears another 5 metres, the Raikou Statue in her sights. She hears a loud cry behind her and turns around to see a small egg pokemon bolting forward, his tiny legs flailing as he passes 3 Pokemon in his wake to stand next to her, “brii-ing” in pleasure, that was one hell of a run! Ion was free from paralysis for the second time but doesn’t have as much luck as Zapster as she waddles forward to the 49 metre mark next to Helen and Togepi. Perry shudders and try as she might she just can’t move, she sighs and slumps back down on the spot. Roxas moves forward slowly … too slowly. He was past annoyed now, he wanted to win and here he was last!

3 more Pokemon stand before the Raikou Statue and begin their attacks. Montag strikes once more with his Faint attack and this time bolts of black energy release the treasure chest and he grabs the Yellow Shard in his mouth. Skitty powers up electrical energy on his paw and fires off rings of electric energy that charge the panel and open the chest revealing his treasure. Manectric having beaten Electivire to the punch spikes his fur up with electricity and rushes the panel the Spark attack coursing off his fur and onto the panel opening up his chest. Zapster is forced to wait and he crosses his arms impatiently … well at least he’s next. Looking behind to the other Pokemon it seemed that most of them were going to reach the panels at the same time. Togepi being close to Statue runs the last leg and stands next to the giant Electivire awaiting his turn, but it seems that the last 4 pokemon were going to fight it out for the next few places. Although Helen and Ion were closer, Perry and Roxas were moving at great speeds to reach them and soon all four were neck and neck.

Ion =1 Helen =2, Perry = 3, Roxas =4
Using an RNG = 2, 3, 1, 4

Helen slips in next with Perry pushing past Ion to take the next place. Ion slots into line with Roxas unfortunately taking last place. Meanwhile up ahead Kiba was keeping his lead … just, Houndour was close behind. Luxray runs forward a little ways behind but there is still time to catch up.

Kiba stumbles forward as Houndour rushes past him to reclaim the lead, Kiba shared an annoyed look with the dark puppy. It was getting tense now. Luxray only manages to clear another 2 metres but somehow has that bad feeling running through her again. Looking to her right she spots a little Minun grinning evilly at her. She snarls at it but gets Thundershocked non-the-less. Montag rips off past the pit stop, Yellow Shard in mouth clearing a good 7 metres and winces as he spots Luxray get shocked, he remembers how much that smarted. Skitty and Manectric seem to fall over their feet in their rush to get out and land on one-another 1 metre ahead. Manectric hears a muffled series of screeches below him and stands up to reveal an irate kitty hissing at him. Now at the panels the next 3 Pokemon unleash their attacks. Zapster happy to finally get this underway holds his arm out and lets loose a powerful Thunderbolt that hits his panel and releases his treasure. His grabs it in his large fist and prepares to leave. Togepi powers up an unnatural attack for him, but his own Thunderbolt is quite powerful in itself and it hits his panel revealing his Yellow Shard in the chest. Finally Helen grinds her fangs together as electric energy coursed through her mouth she rears back before leaping forward and biting down on the panel. It absorbed her attack and the chest snaps open revealing her treasure. Perry, Ion and Roxas all wait patiently, some twitching a little eager to hurry up and get their treasure.

The final 3 Pokemon take their places at the panels and hurriedly fire off their attacks, they were falling behind now. Perry lets her electricity course off her little body as she smacks right into the panel with her Spark releasing her treasure. Ion lets loose her Thunder Wave that ripples through the air and strikes the panel releasing her treasure and finally Roxas roars startling the smaller pokemon next to him and runs full force at his panel almost smashing it in his fury but his Spark works and his treasure is released also. Togepi being so occupied by holding his Yellow Shard stumbles and stops 1 metre ahead of the statue. Zapster a little less hindered runs forward past Togepi and Manectric who seems to be trying to cough up his Yellow Shard he accidentally swallowed, the offending treasure landing on the grass covered in saliva … ewww. Skitty, faring better this time and no longer pinned under Manectric, whizzes past him and Electivire to stop at the 58 metre mark. Montag also has a good run clearing 7 metres too. Luxray truly p-ed off that she had been Thundershocked again pushed through the oncoming paralysis and covers 5 metres still hanging in 3rd place. Kiba and Houndour however seem to be fighting for first and this time Kiba gets the upper hand pushing two metres ahead of the determined dark puppy.

Kiba runs on unheeded, this Electrike is like greased lightning and it tears away from Houndour who stumbles in shock at his speed. Kiba has cleared 80 metres and can see the finish line in his sights and his trainer jumping up and down like a mad man. Luxray is still fighting through her pain and runs now a good 7 metres falling in just behind the downed Houndour. Montag seems to have distracted by something, maybe it was that Pidgey that flew overhead but he trips over his own feet and falls one metre ahead of his previous spot. Skitty however was powering through the track and stops just in front of Montag. Zapster makes good time too and covers a respectable 6 metres heading past the next set of electric pokemon. Ion is hot off the line and leaves all the other pokemon in her wake knocking into Togepi, Perry and Roxas throwing them one metre ahead. She stops after a good 10 metre dash and grins but hang on … 50 metres plus 10 metres makes 60 metres right? Oh no! A giggle and a Thundershock later she’s almost crying at her bad luck. The Minun however had no qualms shocking her. Helen and Manectric having being brushed by Ion manage a few metres each and all those behind her can’t help to grin at her misfortune.

It seems a sure bet that Kiba was going to win now … well at least until he tripped up and fell over only 1 metre ahead from his last spot. Houndour seeing this rushes forth covering a good distance to catch up and finds himself only a few metres away. Now once again cleared of paralysis Luxray bounds forward 5 metres finding herself a few metres away from the leaders. Montag after his terrible go last time bolts forward just passing a pair of Elekid who pound their fists in annoyance at not having shocked anyone yet. Zapster is one to watch out for though as covered in sparks tears through the track covering 10 metres easily now residing next to the Houndoom. Skitty after his previous good luck thinks that things are looking up … maybe not as he falls over his face smacking the ground. Manectric gets a second wind and with all the speed he can muster zips forward passing Ion, who can only waddle 1 metre before she slumps in pain, coming to rest next to Skitty. Togepi despite being so far back can hear his team-mates cheering for him and he toddles forward 6 metres before resting, getting a little tired now. Helen was no where near the finish line and she could see Perry and Roxas about to overtake her. She was having none of that. With a deep breath she spat out another cloud of Smog that makes Perry and Roxas halt in their tracks and hold their paws over their mouths. Perry looked back in tearful regret that she was last … all she wanted to do was make her trainer proud.

Kiba and Houndour were getting tired now, this race take a toll on their small bodies but they manage to keep pace with one-another. Luxray feeling tired also manages to move a little faster clearing 4 metres this round passing a pair of Jolteon that spark their fur in encouragement. Zapster and Montag start off from the same spot but Zapster proves to be faster this time and clears an extra metre. Manectric is feeling the effects of his last dash but still manages to run 6 metres before stopping to catch his breath. Skitty gets up off the floor and with embarrassment flushing his pink fur a deep shade of red scurries forward 3 metres. He hears laughter to his right and sees an Elekid beating its fists together with a wicked grin on its face. Now it got to shock someone. A few moments later it fired off a Thundershock that struck Skitty making him mewl in pain. At the very back of the line stands Perry who looks up with a fire burning in her eyes. She would not sit back and let everyone pass her by. She could still do well in this race and make her trainer and team-mates proud. With a war-like cry, startling Helen who trips at 2 metres, she sparks up and runs like there’s a fire behind her. She bolts past Roxas and Togepi who had just cleared 4 metres before leaping over Ion who was fighting off paralysis again to rest at 64 metres. Panting from the adrenaline rush she looks up with a smile. That was a great run!

Kiba and Houndour pick up the pace but again keep in time with one-another and clear 6 metres each. The finishing line is within sight and only a few metres away, both pokemon could taste gold. Houndour looks to his left and spots something that makes hits blood run cold. A small Shinx looks sorrowfully at him, it obviously didn’t want to be this close to the finish but it had a job to do. It closed its eyes and struck down Houndour with its Thundershock making the dark puppy fall to the ground. He looks at the finishing line sorrowfully, he was soo close now he may have lost first place. Luxray has picked up the pace too and runs 5 metres forward and can’t help but feel sorry for Houndour, but hey, she still was going for the win. Montag is not doing too bad himself and he trots forward clearing the 80 metre mark. Zapster on the other hand dropped his Yellow Shard at 2 metres and has to stop to pick it up. He feels a stinging sensation hit his back and looks over his shoulder to see a sheepish looking Jolteon smiling at him, just his luck. Manectric runs a good 7 metres forward before stopping and wincing as Electivire got fried. Hey wait a minute; he was right nest to Electivire! He looks to his left spots a Jolteon powering up an attack. Before he can think twice he’s struck with the attack nearly making his swallow his shard again. Skitty dug his paws in the ground and dragged his backside (which had stiffened up too much to move) 1 metre before sitting down in pain. Ion free from that retched paralysis darts forward covering a large amount of track and passes Skitty to stop at 72 metres. Perry kept up a good pace after her last dash and clears 6 metres but she turns her head to see an Elekid waving at her … oh no she wasn’t going to fall for that again. Before she can act she’s struck down with a Thundershock; and she thought her luck had changed. Togepi clears a decent amount of track this time leaving a good deal of distance between her and Roxas who was struggling again. Helen ran past the struggling Luxray and stopped at 64 metres, she wasn’t last again, yey!

Kiba spares a look of mutual respect at Houndour, smiling glad to of had such good competition before charging with all his might at the finish line. He breaks through the yellow tape and howls in ecstasy before running to meet his overjoyed trainer. Houndour casts the spunky Electrike a shadow of a smile before he pulls himself off the ground, growling at the pain and forces himself to run clearing 6 metres easily; he could still finish second. Luxray maintains her pace and powers off reaching 91metres, she was third now but could she make second? Montag can only manage a short run before he stops panting with exhaustion. Zapster stares longingly at the finish line as paralysis locks his large muscles together; he just had to make it. Manectric finds himself in a similar situation, unable to move off his mark. Ion waddles forward a good 6 metres hoping to be able to finish at a respectable place and although Perry was in pain she was damned if she was gonna just sit there. Dragging herself forward she makes 6 metres before stopping. Togepi surprise all those she passed as her little legs flailed wildly before she fell over and rolled the rest of her 10 metres stopping one metre ahead of Ion who looked at her with amusement. Skitty couldn’t move, his butt well and truly paralysed leaving him at 71 metres. Helen left Roxas in the dust as she powered 9 metres forward, the dejected Luxray only managing 5 of his own.

With first place decided all the other Pokemon were racing their hearts out to claim second and third places. Houndour cries out in frustration as his muscles lock up leaving his stuck on the spot. Looking behind he spots Luxray about to run when she falls over a bump in the ground, he could still claim second! Montag has just about as much luck when he stumbles making only 2 metres of headway. Ion and Togepi however were going to capitalize on their mistakes and rush forward both finishing at 84 metres. Manectric manages another 6 metres even with his muscles protesting profusely, passing both Togepi and Ion who are quite impressed. Zapster willed his limbs to work and got really excited when he started to move before he realised he’s only moved 2 metres. Skitty and Helen both tear off keeping pace with one-another, not about the let the other overtake them but Helen gets the upper hand this time and stops one metre ahead. Despite her earlier push Perry was really struggling now and only made a metre before she had to stop. Roxas ran hard but was tired and he was falling far behind, he snorted with disapproval and hoped his trainer wouldn’t hate him for his poor performance.

Kiba watches with interest next to his trainer, it was neck and neck and he wondered who would come in second and third. Houndour thoroughly exhausted makes 2 metres before stopping seeing Luxray up to him to both of them only 2 metres away from the finish and looking behind can see that Houndoom had made a mad dash to sit just behind him. Wow this was going to be close. Togepi finding his strength again runs/rolls his another 10 metres down the track past the 90 metre mark, he could still finish second or third if he ran like that again. Manectric runs 6 metres to stop just past 90 metre mark, thankfully, he didn’t want another shock this close to the finish line. Ion feeling tired now is unable to co-ordinate her legs and trips 2 metres ahead, Zapster running in to stand next to her; that seemed to happen quite often throughout the race. Skitty now free of the shocks effects runs up to and stands next to Ion and Zapster. Helen trots another 2 metres forward, really getting tired now. Perry in her excitement to catch up trips over her tail and falls at 79 metres dropping her shard in the process. Roxas seeing an opportunity to move away from last darts forward and has to stop after 7 metres but he’s next to Perry now.

With all their might Luxray and Houndour push off from the ground to run past the finish line, it was so close that the Magnemite have to replay it on the screen. Inferno and Stark look on with feeling utterly so nervous at what the result could be. Rewinding the tape they play the sequence again and it appears that …

Houndour =1 Luxray =2
Arc_Angel rolled 1 2-sided die: 1

Houdour has just pushed past by a nose and claimed second, meaning that Luxray took third. Both collapse at the feet of their trainers who should be very proud of how they raced. Montag is disappointed to see third pace go but darts forward taking a respectable fourth. Togepi begins to run again picking up great pace but its Manectric who darts past him to claim fifth place. Togepi passes the finish line too just happy to have done so well. Skitty was the surprising Pokemon here though as once again he powers through 10 metres of the track, now very near to the end. Ion makes good progress also passing the 90 metre mark, happy to see her trainer waving encouragement at her. Zapster makes 3 metres before stopping to catch his breath, spotting his trainer urging him on. Helen runs up and stops right beside Zapster, sparing him a look and wondering if she could beat him. Perry and Roxas race on covering a small amount of track, despite being near last they were both determined to at least finish well.

Skitty with one last effort powers through the finishing line, glad not to have finished last. Zapster bolts past Ion who tumbles in his wake, to finish only a couple metres away from the finish line. Helen finds a reserve of energy and runs for all she’s worth clearing 10 metres and passing Ion and Zapster, only 1 metre away from the finish. Perry clears the 90 metre mark and sighs happy to not receive any more shocks and Roxas stops just before 90 metres resigning himself to last place after all.

Helen makes it past the finish line in time to sit down and pant with exhaustion. Zapster is knocked down at 99 metres by two speeding pokemon, a Pachirisu who cry out in joy for finishing and a little Chinchou who is surprised to have made it this far with all the zaps she received. He growls in frustration, he was so damn close too! Roxas takes a few tentative steps sighing at how far back he was going to finish.

Zapster with only one metre to go merely walks over the line and trudges over to his trainer. Roxas hangs his head with shame seeing that he was now last and ran over to the finish line, he hoped his trainer would forgive him. He had tried his best after all.

With the race finished each of you run over to congratulate or console your pokemon and Billy approaches you.

“That was an AMAZING race, right down to the wire. Your pokemon all did so well, you should all be proud of them. I thank you for entering in my little game and now I will present the prizes.” She says leading the 3 winners to a podium. Electrike leaps onto the first place step beaming at Katsu. Houndour takes his place on the second step feeling proud to have finished so well and Inferno stands by his side. Luxray finally takes her place on the lowest step looking at Stark trying to gauge his reaction to their placing.

“Now here are the prizes, Katsu and Kiba get this TM Zap Cannon and a Lightball. Also as a special prize for coming first we award you this replica [Replica Raikou Statue: . Inferno and Houndour are awarded this TM Shockwave and a Magnet and finally Stark and Luxray win this TM Thunder Wave and Thunderstone. For all those runners up you may keep your Yellow Shards as consolation prizes. Now lets have it for your winners” Billy-May finishes applauding the three on the podium, the trainers joining in.

“There is one prize I didn’t mention before; it’s an extra special prize. I present the ‘Hardiest Award’, this award is presented to the Pokemon who the judges believe is the hardiest, and by that we mean the one who received the most shocks and just kept on going. We have two contenders for this special prize Ion the Chinchou and Zapster the Electivire. It was a hard choice but we have made one. The winner of the ‘Hardiest Award’ is …

Ion =1, Zapster =2
Arc_Angel rolls 1 2-sided die: 2

Shadow and Zapster! Congratulations you two. Zapster has proved himself to be a very hardy Pokemon and has impressed us all. As part of the Hardiest Award you win this Golden Ticket which can be redeemed at the Connor Charity booth. The prize is well worth it I assure you” she finished with a wink handing over the Golden Ticket to Zapster who accepted it graciously. A loud voice booms over the speakers of the Stadium catching the attention of all the trainers.
“The Parade will be starting shortly, so we encourage everyone to make their way over to Oceanic Drive within the next 10 minutes. I repeat the parade will be starting shortly so please make your way to Oceanic Drive, it’s something you don’t want to miss”
“Okay everyone, congratulations again and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day,” Billy-May says walking off to leave you alone with your pokemon and prizes.

Golden Ticket – Shadowshocker the Golden Ticket can be taken to Connor’s Charity Booth before the parade starts and upon its redemption you shall receive a Hero's Ball. This is to be used to house a special Pokemon being brought to Seaside City for you. This Pokemon will be the baby form of one of Connor’s team (not the legendaries) and it will reach the festival by the end of the campaign. If you do not finish the campaign the Pokeball will be removed from your possession.